Moral Development, Schemes and Mind Maps of Reasoning

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Moral Development Instructor:

Dr. Shauna Adams

Piaget’s Views

Based on his observations of children'sapplication of rules when playing, Piagetdetermined that morality, too, can beconsidered a developmental process.

Older Children

However, older children were able toexplain "because it isn't right", and "itwasn't true". Even older childrenindicated an awareness of intention asrelevant to the meaning of an act: "A lieis when you deceive someone else. Tomake a mistake is when you make amistake".

Heteronomous Moral Reasoning^ From his observations, Piaget concluded

that children begin in a "heteronomous"stage of moral reasoning, characterizedby a strict adherence to rules andduties, and obedience to authority.

Moral Realism

Moral realism is associated with"objective responsibility", which isvaluing the letter of the law abovethe purpose of the law.

Moral Realism

This is why young children are moreconcerned about the outcomes ofactions rather than the intentions of theperson doing the act.

Heteronomous Moral Reasoning:Factor 2

2. Relative social relationship withadults

: In the natural authority relationship between adults andchildren, power is handed down fromabove. The relative powerlessness ofyoung children, coupled with childhoodegocentrism feeds into a heteronomousmoral orientation.

Autonomous Stage of Moral Reasoning

Through interactions with other childrenin which the group seeks a to playtogether in a way all find fair, childrenfind this strict heteronomous adherenceto rules sometimes problematic.

Shift to Perspective Taking

The ability to act from a sense ofreciprocity and mutual respect isassociated with a shift in the child'scognitive structure from egocentrism toperspective taking.

Kohlberg's Theory of MoralDevelopment and Education

Lawrence Kohlberg (1969) modified andelaborated Piaget's work. Consistent with Piaget, he proposedthat children form ways of thinkingthrough their experiences which includeunderstandings of moral concepts suchas justice, rights, equality and humanwelfare.

Preconventional:^ Level 1^ A person's moral judgments are characterized

by a concrete, individual perspective. Stage 1

Obedience and Punishment Orientation

focuses on avoiding breaking

rules that are backed by punishment,obedience for its own sake and avoiding thephysical consequences of an action topersons and property.

The Preconventional Level^ Stage 2

Reward Orientation

focuses on the

instrumental, pragmatic value of an action.^ The Golden Rule becomes, "If someone hits you,you hit them back." or "you scratch my back andI'll scratch yours."^ One follows the rules only when it is to someone'simmediate interests. What is right is what's fair inthe sense of an equal exchange, a deal, anagreement.^ There is an understanding that everybody hashis(her) own interest to pursue so that right isrelative.

Conventional^ Stage 3 Good Boy Nice Girl Orientation

Aware of shared feelings, agreements, andexpectations which take primacy overindividual interests. Define what is right in terms of what isexpected by people close to one's self, and interms of the stereotypic roles that definebeing good - e.g., a good brother, mother,teacher. Being good means keeping mutualrelationships, and value trust, loyalty, respect,and gratitude.

Conventional^ Stage 4 Law and Order Orientation

Marks the shift from defining what is right interms of local norms and role expectations todefining right in terms of the laws and normsestablished by the larger social system. One must obey the law except in extremecases in which the law comes into conflict withother prescribed social duties. Obeying the law is seen as necessary inorder to maintain the system of laws whichprotect everyone.