Kohlberg’s Theory of Moral Reasoning Essay

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Kohlberg was born in 1927 in Bronxville New York. A brilliant scholar, Kohlberg had an informal and unassuming nature. According to Kohlberg, every individual goes through each of these stages in his life. In order to arrive at the classification of these stages in Moral Reasoning, Kohlberg (1984) conducted various experiments with children, in the age groups of 10, 13 and 16 years. Independent judges later subjected his views to thorough scrutiny, in order to discover the reliability of his experiments. Once these initial experiments conducted by Kohlberg were proven to be consistent (by the judges), the classification process began.

Kohlberg’s stage theory of moral reasoning is believed to occur at three primary levels, the first being “self-interest” which is also the “lowest level” of reasoning (p. 412). This stage has 2 further stages. ‘Moral decisions’ is the first stage and is based primarily on the “fear of punishment” while the second stage is “guided most by satisfying one’s self-interest” (p. 412). Children fall into this category. The reason why childhood is called pre-conventional is, that children have as yet, not been totally integrated into the moral fabric of society. Initially children are conditioned to understand that obedience to superiors will be duly rewarded. Conversely, rebellion against accepted norms of behavior will be dealt with with appropriate punishment. This is later replaced by the desire to satisfy one’s own interests.

The next step/stage in Moral reasoning is “Social Approval” and refers to the “intermediate level of moral reasoning” which also has two stages – one in which moral decisions are impacted by “conforming to the standards of others we value” (p. 412). At this stage, it is primarily societal norms that influence our behavior and determine what is acceptable and what is not. Adolescents and young adults typify this level. It is believed that we function mostly at this level because of the impact and influence of family members and society, which sets the standards for moral behavior.

At the third level is the “post-conventional stage” which is also the “highest level of moral reasoning” and has only a single stage (p. 412). At this level, moral decisions are taken after a careful thinking process “about all the alternatives and striking a balance between human rights and laws of society” (p. 412). Very few adults get across to this stage and most individuals generally function at the second level which is greatly impacted by the laws of society.

In short, children in Stage 1 are influenced by parents and follow the course of obedience in order to avoid punishment. As they grow older, i.e. Stage 2 they realize the power of bargaining to further self-interest and are not influenced by a single person of authority. In Stages 3 & 4, as adolescents and young adults, moral decisions are heavily influenced by the expectations of others, as also the norms and values the society sets. Finally as adults, one is able to evaluate a situation and make a moral decision that is in the best interest of all (Kohlberg, 1984). However most of our Moral Decisions are heavily influenced by social approval (stage 2). Society controls our way of thinking, and this colors our personal vision on what is right and wrong to a large extent. Fear of being ostracized by society, makes us conform to rigorous moral patterns. In this study, Crain (1985) had cited the issue of abortion as a good example of social approval. Here women move from Level 1 i.e. Self Interest to Level 2 i.e. Social Approval. Abortion is frowned upon by most societies. Conforming to conventional standards set by society and people of importance/influential people, most women do not go in for an abortion, no matter what the circumstances are. Kohlberg’s research has provided us with an in-depth knowledge of the various stages of Moral Reasoning.

Bibliography

Crain W.C. Theories of Development. Prentice-Hall. (1985). pp. 118-136. Web. Kohlberg, 1984.

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