bandawoman's massive brain!

[Guest guest]

I agree about degrees of dishonesty, but didn't

get the Kohlberg reference -- thought this was

interesting -- <br><br>A SUMMARY OF LAWRENCE KOHLBERG'S

STAGES OF MORAL DEVELOPMENT<br>Copyright © 1996, 1998

by Robert N. Barger, Ph.D. University of Notre Dame

<br> <br>Lawrence Kohlberg was, for many years, a

professor at Harvard University. He became famous for his

work there beginning in the early 1970s. Kohlberg

believed...and was able to demonstrate through studies...that

people progressed in their moral reasoning (i.e., in

their bases for ethical behavior) through a series of

stages. He believed that there were six identifiable

stages which could be more generally classified into

three levels. <br><br> LEVEL STAGE SOCIAL

ORIENTATION<br>Pre-conventional <br> 1 Obedience and Punishment<br> 2

Individualism, Instrumentalism, and Exchange<br> Conventional

<br> 3 "Good boy/girl"<br>4 Law and

Order<br>Post-conventional <br> 5 Social Contract<br> 6 Principled

Conscience<br><br> The first level of moral thinking is that

generally found at the<br>elementary school level. In the

first stage of this level, people behave<br>according

to socially acceptable norms because they are told

to do so by<br>some authority figure (e.g., parent

or teacher). This obedience is<br>compelled by the

threat or application of punishment. The second stage

of<br>this level is characterized by a view that right

behavior means acting in<br>one's own best interests.

<br><br> The second level of moral thinking is that

generally found in<br>society, hence the name

"conventional." The first stage of this level<br>(stage 3) is

characterized by an attitude which seeks to do what will

gain<br>the approval of others. The second stage is one

oriented to abiding by the<br>law and responding to the

obligations of duty.<br><br> The third level of moral

thinking is one that Kohlberg felt is not<br>reached by

the majority of adults. Its first stage (stage 5) is

an<br>understanding of social mutuality and a genuine interest in the

welfare of<br>others. The last stage is based on respect

for universal principle and the<br>demands of

individual conscience. <br><br> Kohlberg believed that

individuals could only progress through<br>these stages one

stage at a time. That is, they could not "jump"

stages.<br>They could not, for example, move from an orientation

of selfishness to<br>the law and order stage without

passing through the good boy/girl stage.<br>They could

only come to a comprehension of a moral rationale one

stage<br>above their own. Thus, according to Kohlberg, it was

important to present<br>them with moral dilemmas for

discussion which would help them to see

the<br>reasonableness of a "higher stage" morality and encourage

their<br>development in that direction.

[Guest guest]

Oh, yes, now it's all clear to me! It's that

massive brain of mine that weighs me down so I can't fly

through vinyasa! Must stop thinking...<br><br>OK, maybe

the Kohlberg reference was oblique. It's from

pysychology 101. (Don't worry, I'm not a psych prof, my

husband just played one at BU. Osmosis. I'm purely an

arts and humanities type.) <br><br>The end of the

tract Edenlotus posted refers to presenting moral

dilemmas for discussion that encourages people to reach

"higher" stages of morality. A classic example is that of

the poor father who has no job and steals a loaf of

bread from a very prosperous institution to feed his

starving children. Pre-conventional and conventional

stages have an absolutist view: he's wrong and must be

punished in accordance with the law. The last three higher

stages take into account the context in which the theft

ocurred. That's probably oversimplifying, but it may be

the gist of it. <br><br>Whew, got to rest that

massive brain of mine! I just know there's a psych major

on this board who can explain it better than I

can...