Morality

• Piaget Morality (1932)


  Heteronomous (5-10 years) - A child believes rules cannot be changed, they focus on an actions consequence and therefore obey the rules.

  Autonomous (10+ years) - A child knows that intentions of an action are important and understand it can be right to change the rules to benefit others.

  He used stories to explain his ideas.
• Piaget Morality weaknesses

  • Stories were artificial and might not represent real thinking. They lack ecological validity as there were no real consequences in the stories from the decisions made.
• Kohlberg's morality-

  The preconventional stage (level 1) was aged around nine years old. The child believes rules cannot be changed and it is the consequences of an action that make it good or bad. Stage 1 is about avoiding punishment and stage 2 is about self-interest.
• Kohlberg's theory of morality (1958) believed in 3 levels and 6 stages, with 2 stages in each level. These stages were the pre-conventional, the conventional and the post conventional. He used stories to explain his theories.
• Kohlberg's morality-

  The conventional stage is where the young person or adult sees themselves as a good member of society with (normal) moral behaviour. Stage 3 is about wanting to be liked and stage 4 is about maintaining social order by obeying authority, which is a duty.
• Kohlberg's morality-

  The post conventional stage is reached by only about 10% of people. This is where the individual has their own idea of morality and understands that there are moral principals that are universal. Stage 5 is about laws being social contracts, democracy is an example of stage 5 reasoning. Stage 6 is the understanding that moral reasoning is abstract and there are universal ethical principals that 'must' be followed. This emphasises right and wrong actions beyond individual laws.
• Kohlberg weaknesses

  • Used artificial stories that might not represent real thinking, lack ecological validity. No real consequences in the stories.
  • Carol Gillian (1977) criticized Kohlberg saying that his male-only sample meant his theory was about male morality.
• Damen's theory of morality (1999) introduces nativist theories which suggest our morality is in our nature (we were born with it) With 4 stages.
• Damon's first stage was early infancy where the child's feelings for others are the same as for themselves and there is global empathy.
• Damon's second stage is age 1-2 where children realise others are upset and this distresses them but they don't know what to do about it.
• Damon's third stage is early childhood where children learn that others have a different view from their own and become more responsive to others distress.
• Damon's last stage is 10-12 years old where children start to realise that other people may live in poverty and have difficulties such as disabilities.