Kohlberg’s Theory of Morality

Ex.1. Learn the following words and word-combinations:

1. to approve – одобрять, approval – одобрение;

2. to break the law (the rules) – нарушать закон (правила);

3. to estimate – считать, полагать, оценивать, давать оценку;

4. to justify – подтверждать, доказывать;

5. level – уровень;

6. to maintain – поддерживать, защищать, отстаивать (закон, теорию, мнение и т. п. )

7. mutual – взаимный, обоюдный;

8. to obey – подчиняться, повиноваться; obedience – повиновение, подчинение;

9. quality – качество;

10. reward – награда, вознаграждение.

Ex.2. Read the following text:

Kohlberg’s theory has dominated research in the field of moral reasoning for 30 years. He was greatly influenced by Piaget. Kohlberg believed that morality develops during childhood and adolescence. He was more interested in person’s reasons for his/her moral judgments than the judgments themselves. For example, our reasons for breaking the law, as well as our views about if there might be circumstances in which breaking the law can be justified, change as we develop.

Kohlberg estimated person’s moral reasoning through the use of moral dilemmas. They involve a choice between two alternatives. Both of these alternatives can be considered socially unacceptable. During the experiments the psychologist asked the samples to answer some questions about the stories containing moral dilemmas. Based on the answers given by these dilemmas, Kohlberg identified six different stages of moral development, differing in quality and complexity. More complex types are used by older individuals. There are also three level of moral reasoning in his theory.

At the preconventional level (stages 1 and 2), we don’t have a personal code of morality. It is formed by the standards of adults and the following or breaking their rules. At the conventional level (stages 3 and 4) we begin to internalize the moral standards of adult role models. At the postconventional level (stages 5 and 6), society’s values and reciprocity (or mutual action) are established.

 The first stage is called the punishment and obedience orientation. What is right or wrong is determined by what the children are punished or not punished for. Moral behavior is conditioned mostly by the avoidance of punishment. The stage 2 is the instrumental relativist orientation. What is right or wrong is determined by what brings rewards and what individual wants. Other people’s needs and desires are important, but only in a reciprocal sense (“If you do me a favour, I’ll do you a one too”).

The stage 3 is the interpersonal concordance (or “good boy-nice girl” orientation). Moral behavior is determined by the approval of other people. Being moral means “being a good person in your own eyes and the eyes of others”. The stage 4 is the maintaining the social order orientation. Being good means doing one’s duty – showing respects for authority and maintaining the social order for its own sake. The idea is that the society protects the rights of individuals, so the society must be protected by the individuals. Laws are accepted and obeyed unquestionably.

The stage 5 is the social contract-legalistic orientation. Laws are not accepted unquestionably but they are respected. Life is considered more important than any legal principle, and so the law can be changed by the democratic process. The stage 6 is the universal ethical principles orientation. A person considers what’s moral in accordance with certain universal principles. The society’s rules may be broken if they conflict with universal moral principles.

1.reciprocity – взаимность, обоюдность, взаимодействие;

2.circumstances – обстоятельства;

Ex.3. Practice to pronounce the following words.

Moral, morality, judgment, circumstance, adolescence, acceptable, unacceptable, complexity, to obey, obedience, reciprocal, reciprocity, orientation, mutual, to punish, punishment, authority, unquestionably.

Ex. 4. Read and translate the words and word combinations.

Moral reasoning, moral dilemmas, moral development, moral behavior, moral principles, moral judgments, moral standards, preconventional level, conventional level, postconventional level.

Ex. 5. Find English equivalents in the text:

Подростковый период, социально неприемлемый, общественные ценности, избегание наказания, быть хорошим человеком, уважение власти, доминирующие исследования, взаимное соглашение, законные принципы, универсальные принципы, безоговорочно, любой ценной, общественные правила.

Ex.6. Tell what the statements are true and what are false. Correct them if they are false.

1. The morality develops through childhood and adolescence.

2. There are six levels of moral development in Kohlberg’s theory.

3. Each level includes 2 stages.

4. The first stage of moral development is determined by what the children are punished or not punished for.

5. Kohlberg’s theory is not interested in moral reasoning.

6. The laws are accepted unquestionably at the postconventional level.

Ex. 7. Read one of the examples of a moral dilemma and answer the questions:

In Europe, a woman was near death from a special kind of cancer. There was one drug that the doctors thought might save her. It was a form of radium that a chemist in the same town had recently discovered. The drug was expensive to make but the chemist was increasing ten times what the drug cost him. He paid 400$ for the radium but said to the sick woman’s husband Heinz to pay 4000$. The husband went to everyone he knew to borrow the money, but could only get 2000$. He told the chemist that his wife was dying and asked him to sell it cheaper or let him pay later. But the chemist refused. He said “I discovered the drug and I’m going to make money from it”. So Heinz got desperate and considered to break into the chemist’s store and to steal the drug for his wife.

1. Should Heinz steal the drug? (Why or why not?)

2. If Heinz doesn’t love his wife, should he steal the drug for her? (Why or why not?)

3. Suppose the person dying isn’t his wife but a stranger. Should Heinz steal the drug for the stranger? (Why or why not?)

4. (If you approve stealing the drug for a stranger.) Suppose it’s a pet animal he loves. Should Heinz steal to save the pet animal? (Why or why not?)

5. Is it important for people to do everything they can to save another’s life? (Why or why not?)

6. Is it against the law for Heinz to steal? Does that make it morally wrong? (Why or why not?)

7. Should people try to do everything they can to obey the law? (Why or why not?)

8. How does this apply to what Heinz should do?

(from Kohlberg, 1984)

Ex. 8. Open the brackets, choosing the right form:

1.He said that the report on the modern theory of personality development (is, was) very interesting.

2.He realized that he (has made, had made) a mistake.

3.These facts are sufficient to disprove two theories of ability that (had suggested, have suggested) recently.

4.The students failed to translate some sentences because they (were, are) too difficult.

5.He (may, might) be a very clever man, but his manner of speaking was unpleasant.

6.Many people claim that solitude (was, is) necessary for modern man.

7.Since we didn’t have money we (can not, could not ) buy the book.

8.He is never bored because he (has, had) a lot of work to do.

9.We knew that they (are waiting, were waiting) for us.

10.She promised that she (will, would) be at 7 p.m.

Text 2.