Kohlbergs Analysis of Moral Development - Essay Example

? In Kohlberg’s analysis of moral development Kohlberg s that humans have five stages of moral development, in each stage one progressively becomes more moral. The first stage is a stage where humans learn to obey the rules. In this stage Kohlberg states that learning to obey the rules should not be because one fears punishment, but because one chooses to obey the rules, Moral Development (45). One needs to make rules that are inherently moral, breaking the rules would not be an immoral action. If one breaks a rule that one deems to be unfitting, and unfair then one is breaking the rule in good conscience. During the second stage of moral development Kohlberg states that people become morally fit by learning to make deals. When one is in this stage of moral development one learns to make deals, such as when one breaks the rules, one makes a deal with the rule keeper. This stage is a more important step in moral development than the previous stage. During this stage one learns about lying, and the affects of lying, and rule breaking. One learns that just because something seems wrong, does not necessarily make it wrong. During the third stage of moral development one will learn how to be considerate, and how to assist someone when someone is in need. During this stage of moral development one should not necessarily assist someone for gratification. More that someone should receive gratification in the mere act of assisting someone else who was in need. During this stage of moral development one learns how to be considerate of someone else’s feelings, and how to respect each other, and how to live, and work with one another. This stage of moral development is important, because if one does not learn to respect each other, and how to work, and live near one another, one cannot possibly have accomplished the first two stages of moral development. When one accomplishes the first two stages of moral development one, can easily accomplish this stage of moral development. During the fourth stage of moral development one will develop social cohesion. Developing social cohesion is a matter of developing socialization skills for anyone one would meet. This is to say that one should not merely socialize with only those in one’s clique, but also socialize in other groups, and in other settings. When one develops social cohesion, one develops more of a sense of being. This person is much better off than someone who has only developed the first three stages of moral development. Kohlberg thinks that if one does not develop social cohesion then one is only mindful, respectful, and considerate of only those in one’s clique. During the fifth stage of moral development on develops a sense of one’s social obligations, and individual rights. During this stage of moral development one learns what one need to do, what one’s place in society is. Everyone has a place in society, and everyone has obligations to make of society. Society expects certain things of certain people, and if one does not oblige by what society expects of them, one is considered to be abnormal. Abnormal citizens are considered to be amoral-citizen. Someone who acts only the way one expects one should act, and does not do as society expects one is considered amoral, to do only what one wants to do, not what is best to do. This may be the best for the person making this decision, however, it is not necessarily right for society. Gilligan challenged Kohlberg’s philosophies that stage four of moral development was not the most imperative stage of moral development. Gilligan used an all female sample, and conducted qualitative research on what women’s views were on abortion. Gilligan analyzed the qualitative research on abortion, and applied it to the four stages of moral development, developed by Kohlberg. In applying the five stages of Kohlberg’s moral development, Gilligan decided that stage four was not better than stage three in Kohlberg’s moral development stages. Gilligan’s research could not develop a clearer understanding of why stage four was inherently better than stage three of moral development. During Gilligan’s research, Gilligan determined stage three was a better, and more important stage of moral development than stage four. Gilligan studied all females, and the female’s views on abortion. Gilligan applied all five stages of Kohlberg’s morality stages. Gilligan found that the women in the study were more biased when it came to stage four, than in stage three. Gilligan found that stage three of Kohlberg’s moral development were just as important to society, as stage four. Gilligan found that stage three may have been just as if not more important than stage four. The Kohlberg-Kramer study consisted of all teenaged boys at a private school. The boys were interviewed qualitatively, and the results of the study were compiled using this data. The boys who gave their answers are supposed to have given honest, and truthful answers. The boys were in a private school so many think the test may have been biased to include only upscale, male children in the study. Kohlberg was a Jewish man. There were not too many Americans who would allow a Jewish man to conduct a study at a public school. This was further explored when there was only one private school in the Chicago, Illinois area to allow Kohlberg to conduct a study at the school. The principal of the school allowed Kohlberg, and his team to conduct the research throughout the course of the school year. The team would assess a large number of the all male student bodies to conduct the research. Many thought because the study was only of male subjects that Kohlberg had something to do with the chosen selection. However, Kohlberg was not trying to be biased in his selection of the subjects for the study. Kohlberg suggested that the subjects for the study were chosen because there were not any public schools to accept him, and allow him to conduct the study at a public school. Kohlberg would have liked to have some females involved in the study, however, it was not made possible since the only school that allowed him to conduct a study of the student body. So, Kohlberg was invited to survey the student body of some boys private school in Chicago, Illinois. The students were interviewed qualitatively. When Kohlberg conducted his study Chicago, Illinois was chosen because he was working toward his Ph.D. at the University of Chicago. He was also a teacher at the University of Chicago. This is how he chose the city for his test subjects. When Kohlberg studied these young men, Kohlberg asked many questions that would relate to how the young men would react in a certain type of situation. Kohlberg had a philosophy that women, those in prison, and children from regular Christian homes lacked moral development. Some of these would eventually catch up. But many women, people in prison, and children from regular Christian homes would never catch up to the men who did not grow up in a regular Christian home, and who were not in prison. Kohlberg states that these groups are considered oppressed groups of society. Kohlberg considered women, peoples in prison, and those who grew up in regular Christian homes to be oppressed from moral development because these citizens usually lack the education, and finances that Kohlberg encountered with those who were not morally underdeveloped. Those who were not morally underdeveloped usually came from upperclass homes with parents who were educated. Kohlberg’s theory was that in a young man grows up in a home with educated parents who were fluent members of society were usually included in decision making. Kohlberg’s philosophy was that women, members of society in prisons, and young men growing up in traditional Christian homes with parents who were not necessarily given very many decisions to make. Young men from more prominent homes are usually challenged with ethical decision making long before these young men get to college. When women, and those young men who were raised in fewer prominent homes with traditional Christian values get to college these young men, and women do develop a sense of moral development. These young men, and women are often challenged in class about ethical decision making. These young men, and women are often asked to participate in group discussions about ethical decision making. Many colleges put an emphasis on teaching students about ethical decision making. When students learn about ethical decision making students become morally developed. This was Kohlberg’s argument about oppressed members of society. Kohlberg argued that oppressed members of society lacked moral development, because oppressed members of society had not been challenged growing up. Oftentimes oppressed members of society were not included in decision making around the home where these members of society grew up. If these members of society had been challenged more, they would be more morally developed, and not oppressed. Read More