The dilemmas are hypothetical (i.e., they are not real) Mens' morality is based on abstract principles of law and justice, while womens' is based on principles of compassion and care.įurther, the gender bias issue raised by Gilligan is a reminded of the significant gender debate still present in psychology, which when ignored, can have a large impact on the results obtained through psychological research.ģ. How should they know whether Heinz should steal the drug?Īccording to Gilligan (1977), because Kohlberg’s theory was based on an all-male sample, the stages reflect a male definition of morality (it’s androcentric). They have never been married, and never been placed in a situation remotely like the one in the story. However, Kohlberg’s subjects were aged between 10 and 16. For example, it is all very well in the Heinz dilemma asking subjects whether Heinz should steal the drug to save his wife. Most of the dilemmas are unfamiliar to most people (Rosen, 1980). The dilemmas are artificial (i.e., they lack ecological validity) That is to say, most people take their moral views from those around them and only a minority think through ethical principles for themselves.ġ. Only 10-15% are capable of the kind of abstract thinking necessary for stage 5 or 6 (post-conventional morality). Individual judgment is based on self-chosen principles, and moral reasoning is based on individual rights and justice.Īccording to Kohlberg this level of moral reasoning is as far as most people get. These are abstract and ill-defined, but might include: the preservation of life at all costs, and the importance of human dignity. Is characterized by an individuals’ understanding of universal ethical principles. Postconventional morality is the third stage of moral development, and The child/individual becomes aware of the wider rules of society, so judgments concern obeying the rules in order to uphold the law and to avoid guilt. Therefore, answers relate to the approval of others. The child/individual is good in order to be seen as being a good person by others. Each new stage replaces the reasoning typical of the earlier stage. People can only pass through these levels in the order listed. Kohlberg identified three distinct levels of moral reasoning: preconventional, conventional, and postconventional. He found that these reasons tended to change as the children got older. What Kohlberg was mainly interested in was not whether the boys judged the action right or wrong, but the reasons given for the decision. The sample comprised 72 Chicago boys aged 10–16 years, 58 of whom were followed up at three-yearly intervals for 20 years (Kohlberg, 1984).Įach boy was given a 2-hour interview based on the ten dilemmas. Should the police arrest the chemist for murder if the woman died?īy studying the answers from children of different ages to these questions, Kohlberg hoped to discover how moral reasoning changed as people grew older. What if the person dying was a stranger, would it make any difference?Ĥ. Would it change anything if Heinz did not love his wife?ģ.
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Kohlberg asked a series of questions such as:Ģ. The husband was desperate to save his wife, so later that night he broke into the chemist’s and stole the drug. The chemist refused, saying that he had discovered the drug and was going to make money from it. He explained to the chemist that his wife was dying and asked if he could have the drug cheaper or pay the rest of the money later. Heinz could only raise half the money, even after help from family and friends. The drug had been discovered by a local chemist, and the Heinz tried desperately to buy some, but the chemist was charging ten times the money it cost to make the drug, and this was much more than the Heinz could afford. Heinz’s wife was dying from a particular type of cancer. One of the best known of Kohlberg’s (1958) stories concerns a man called Heinz who lived somewhere in Europe. In each case, he presented a choice to be considered, for example, between the rights of some authority and the needs of some deserving individual who is being unfairly treated. He used Piaget’s storytelling technique to tell people stories involving moral dilemmas. Lawrence Kohlberg (1958) agreed with Piaget's (1932) theory of moral development in principle but wanted to develop his ideas further. Heinz dilemma Preconventional morality Conventional morality Postconventional morality Critical evaluation Referencesīy using children's responses to a series of moral dilemmas, Kohlberg established that the reasoning behind the decision was a greater indication of moral development than the actual answer.