Question

Kohlberg's Three Levels of Morality

This week’s lecture focused on moral development and ethical reasoning. As part of your readings for the week, Kohlberg’s three levels of morality were discussed. How would you have answered Heinz’s dilemma? (See readings for the week for the full dilemma). Which of Kohlberg’s three levels of morality do you feel you are in? Do you feel you are in a different level of morality in different settings (i.e. work vs. personal life?) How has your morality (if it has) progressed from your adolescence?

Your work should be at least 500 words, but mostly draw from your own personal experience. This should be written in first person and give examples from your life. Be sure if you are using information from the readings that you properly cite your readings in this, and in all assignments

IN YOUR OWN WORDS!!!!! NO PLAGIARISM!!!!!

Answer 1

Kohlberg’s three level of morality are:

1. Pre conventional morality - Here the child is not able to develop the personal codes instead the morality is developed by the adults. Here child understands that if the rule is being followed there is a reward otherwise there is a punishment. The child also understands that different people have got different views on same topic.
2. Conventional morality - Here the adolescent try to question or reason the morality. The child tries to internalise the moral standard values of adults. an individual becomes aware that if the rules are being obeyed then there can be good inter personal relationship, an individual also becomes aware that there are wiser rules in the society and hence law should be abided.
3. Post conventional morality - Individual judgement is based on self chosen principles . It is said that only 10-15% of people are capable of such kind of abstract thinking that means most of the people develop moral views from those around them. Here a person gets to know that even the law exists there are individual interests and they develop their principles of moral guidelines e.g. human rights, justice and equality.

I find myself in post conventional morality, I am totally internally driven person and rarely go by the societal ideas, I find these rules of equality, judgement, morality very beautiful. Many a times I go into the abstract thinking and try to apply these principles to my personal life. I in turn also make like minded friends. But I am not able to go into that 10-15% because I also like the rules followed by the society. But I have my own principles or thinking to follow them. Of course in my teenage those thoughts were pretty strong but now they are mended. For e.g. I believe in god but do not believe in much of show off of worshipping the same. I believe that god exists in individual also, hence if a person helps another person it is just equal to worshipping. I also follow this in my work life. There are many career options but I choose what I really want to chose and do not go by the stream, of course following guidelines given by the society gives some stability or more income. But i chose Arts side, left a job at MNC and started something of my own. Hence the internal thought drive which I carry forces me to do whatever I like to do and not what to chose something where there is money.

As far Heinz example is concerned I think that he did a right job by breaking the store. He did that out of love, in order to save her and not in an intention to of making money or destroying something. He must not have touched anything apart from that drug. In hi case Heinz was in the dilemma of 10-15% of people who break the rules and build the rules of their own due to some or other purpose.