Question

Apply Kohlberg's perspectives regarding encouraging post-conventional moral development, perspectives regarding Erikson's generativity, and perspectives regarding pursuits of eudaimonic happiness, to the development of wisdom, and how this may best serve humanity. Provide a brief description of each concept as you incorporate them into your post. You may wish to establish a time-line of development based on environmental influences to frame your perspectives, e.g., encouraging post-conventional moral development during sex-education can establish a sense of self and selflessness, which may encourage more caring, compassionate, intimate, and loving relationships, which may encourage generativity and promote eudaimonic happiness, lending itself to wisdom in mid-life that could encourage lessons (verbally and by way behaviors that can be observed) for how younger generations can develop their own post-conventional moral sense.

Answer 1

To begin with, the three different theories are explained below:

Kohlberg's Post-conventional moral development: Kohlberg came up with three different stages of moral development- Pre-conventional, Conventional and Post-conventional. The Post-conventional stage of moral development takes place when individuals are capable of ,making their judgments based of their self-chosen principles. These principle should be based on their individual rights and justice. This means that individuals would not base their principles on what others in the society are doing or preaching. They find meaning of their moralities through ethical principles which they've found for themselves. He has proposed two sub-stages here:

1) Social Contract and Individual Right

2) Universal Principles

Erikson's Generativity: Generativity in its simplest terms would mean marking the existence of a person in the world. This according to Erikson is achieved through actions which would make the world a better place. Failing to achieve this leads to Stagnation where individuals feel disconnected to the world and become unproductive. It has been proposed that this stage takes place during middle age at around 40 to 65 years. Some important tasks at this stage includes:

1) Making better connections with people

2) Mentoring younger ones

3) Developing relationships

Pursuits of Eudaimonic happiness: This is a concept of positive psychology which states that happiness comes from within when an individual realises his/her ultimate potentials and goals. This concept is close to Maslow's need for self-actualisation. It is the ultimate feeling of self satisfaction when one realises the true meaning of life while achieving their fullest potentials.

The application:

For example, Role Plays (or swapping of roles) in any setting, be it a classroom, at home or at a workplace would encourgae Post-conventional moral development where they would learn to empathise with others. Empathy is an important quality required for people for make judgments about themselves. It is only when they would realise the world from another's point of view, would they be able to make decisions about themselves. This would boost instrospection and the person in his middle age might take steps of Generativity, by helping people in need or understanding their children better while parenting. Finally, there would be eudaimonic happiness in the person which would would go beyond the materialistic pleasures. The person would be able to function holistically as a whole by empathising with others and then making their own ethical decisions.