Post+Conventional+Level+(Kohlberg's+Views+on+Moral+Reasoning)

The post conventional level According to Kohlberg is a period during which moral judgments are derived from moral principles and people look to themselves to set moral standards. Reciprocity is the principle that actions have mutual effects and that people depend on one another to treat each other morally.


 * The Adolescent in Judgment: Moral Development**

Moral development in adolescence is a complex issue, with cognitive and behavioral aspects. As noted in Chapter 12, children in early childhood tend to view right and wrong in terms of rewards and punishments. Question: What are Kohlberg's views on moral reasoning in adolescence? Lawrence Kohlberg referred to such judgments as preconventional. In middle childhood, conventional thought tends to emerge, and children usually begin to judge right and wrong in terms of social conventions, rules, and laws. In adolescence, many—not all—individuals become capable of formal-operational thinking, which allows them to derive conclu¬ sions about what they should do in various situations by reasoning from ethical prin¬ ciples. And many of these individuals engage in postconventional moral reasoning. They deduce proper behavior just as they might deduce that a platypus is a mammal because platypuses feed their young with breast milk.

In the Post Conventional Level moral reasoning is based on the person's own moral standards. Moral judgments are derived from personal values, not from conventional standards or authority figures. In the contractual, legalistic orientation of Stage 5, it is recognized that laws stem from agreed-on procedures and that many rights have great value and should not be violated but under exceptional circumstances laws cannot bind the individual. A Stage 5 reason for stealing the drug might be that it is the right thing to do, even though it is illegal. Conversely, it could be argued that if everyone in need broke the law, the legal system and the social contract would be destroyed. Stage 6 thinking relies on supposed universal ethical principles, such as those of human life, individual dignity, justice, and reciprocity. Behavior that is consistent with these principles is considered right. If a law is seen as unjust or contradicts the right of the individual, it is wrong to obey it. It could be argued from the perspective of Stage 6 that the principle of preserving life takes precedence over laws prohibiting stealing. Therefore, it is morally necessary for Heinz to steal the drug, even if he must go to jail. Note that it could also be asserted, from the principled orientation, that if Heinz finds the social contract or the law to be the highest principle, he must remain within the law, despite the consequences. Stage 5 and 6 moral judgments were virtually absent among the 7- and 10-year-olds in Kohlberg's (1963) sample of American children. They increased in frequency dur¬ ing the early and middle teens. By age 16, Stage 5 reasoning was shown by about 20% of adolescents and Stage 6 reasoning was demonstrated by about 5% of adolescents. However, Stage 3 and 4 judgments were made more frequently at all ages—7 through 16—studied by Kohlberg and other investigators (Colby et al., 1983; Rest, 1983). Truth or Fiction Revisited: It is not true that most adolescents make moral decisions based on their own ethical principles. Post conventional motal reasoning appears in adolescence if it appears at all, but most adolescents reason at lower levels.
 * The Post Conventional Level**


 * Moral Behavior and Moral Reasoning: Is There a Relationship?**

Is there a relationship between moral cognitive development and moral behavior? Are individuals whose moral judgments are more mature more likely to engage in moral behavior? The answer seems to be yes; many studies have found positive relationships.

Rathus, S. A. (2008). //Childhood and Adolescence: Voyages in Development// (Third ed., pp. 528-530). Canada: Thomson Wadsworth.