Moral Development & Ethics

I've been doing quite a bit of reading on the subject as of late and have found the works of Lawrence Kohlberg to be particularly enlightening. I found this book on Amazon: Lawrence Kohlberg's Approach to Moral Education (Critical Assessments of Contemporary Psychology)

A quicky primer can be found here: http://www.vtaide.com/png/Kohlberg.htm

Kohlberg posits that there are three basic stages of moral and ethical development.

1. Pre-Conventional Morality: Obedience to authority and the desire to avoid punishment for not obeying.
2. Conventional Morality: The need to work within social norms and uphold the social order. To fit in. To be good.
3. Post-Conventional Morality: A moral/ethical focus on doing what is perceived as right and the ability to critique or support their own society in the search for justice. Also displays the ability to seek justice even if it is for others outside of ones own social group or the action would be considered outside of societal norms.

While reading some of his essays, I've found it coloring my views on how people deal with religion in their daily lives. Both liberal and conservative religious/political worldviews could could easily fall in the above three categories, both in a positive and negative lights.

I find many of the mainline religious doctrines rarely get beyond the lowest strata of level 2 morality with a definite emphasis on level one, the strict adherence to authority and the fear of punishment. God and Hell, so to speak.

I'm not sure if anyone else is familiar with Kohlberg and some of his work is similar to Kant's and Buber's personalism philosophy that the highest form of ethical thought is not utilatarianism, the right action is one that derives the greater good for the greatest number at the sacrifice of the individual, but that the individual is of fundamental and irreducible value.

 

i dunno. classifying morality in such a way as to imply "levels" such that each level is a progression of the previous gives me pause. the implication is that avoiding punishment is for simpletons and nuanced contemplation is for those of the mighty lobes.

 

True. Kohlberg was looking at the issue from a psychological standpoint as opposed to a sociological, anthropological or philosophical view. I feel that is where the difference may lie.

Using his model, one could almost say that the borderline sociopathic individual may have the higher conception of morals since he is able to individualize them to specific situations instead of sticking to societal norms.

 

Does that mean that I'm better than most? I don't understand if it's a good thing to have a higher conception of morals.

 

The thing about "justice", is that it can be (and often is) an extremely subjective term.

 

It strikes me that the levels progress on a continuum from extreme self focus towards begining to focus upon others.

In level 1, an individual is focused primarily upon their own experience and avoiding pain or punishment.

Level 2 is similar, but focuses upon a need of identity, of fiting in with others, but the need is still focused upon the experience of the individual.

Level 3 is debatable as to whether it is selfish or not. Strong arguments have been made that we do "good" things in part to be good to others, but primarily for our need to perceive ourselves as "good." But I believe it does qualify as a more developed conscience. Many of the moral responses that would be dictated by this form of morality, if applied to all levels of society, would lead to sacrifice by the individual (for the good of others).

 

I have not read any of Kohlberg, but I suspect he would disagree with you on this point. Certainly such a person *may* have a more thought-out/developed sense of morality (albeit, warped), but the notion of seeking justice for others would not be seen in a sociopathic individual, and rarely in a borderline sociopathic individual (and then it would be on a very minimal level).


The model can be a useful tool for teaching people to move from self-centered thinking towards a loving consideration of others, even at the expense of oneself.