Kohlberg

• Lawrence Kohlberg wrote an article on the stages of moral development
• Kohlberg was an American psychologist
• Kohlberg was a professor in the psychology department at the University of Chicago
• Lawrence Kholberg's Six stages

  1. Obedience and punishment
  2. What's in this for me?
  3. What will others think of me?
  4. Authority and social order
  5. Social contract
  6. Universal ethical principles
• Obedience and punishment

  • Our understanding of right and wrong comes from what we are punished for
• Interpersonal accord and conformity- what do others think of me?

  • Begins with the development of good interpersonal relationships
  • Concludes with the decision to obey society's rules to avoid guilt
• Authority and social order

  • Follow the rules of society
• Social contract

  • Understanding the needs of the individual must give way to the benefit of the whole
• Universal ethical principles

  • Individual conscience
  • Moral choices must be consistent and universal
  • Going against the conscience will lead to guilt, so it will be followed even if it leads to imprisonment
  • Very few reach this level
• The dilemma of Heinz

  • Heinz's wife is on her death bed, only one drug can save her
  • This drug is sold for 10x the production cost and is too expensive
  • Heinz asks the pharmacist to sell it to him for half the price but the pharmacist refuses
  • Heinz breaks into the pharmacy and steals the drug
• The dilemma of Heinz

  • Should he have stolen the drug?
  • Would it have made a difference if he did not love his wife?
  • What if it was a stranger on their deathbed?
  • Should the pharmacist be arrested for murder if the wife died?