Culture

1
Culture Morality
2
Stages of Moral Devlopment (Kohlberg, 1973)

• 3 levels and 6 stages of moral development
• Preconventional level
• Moral reasoning is guided by external
  consequences. No internalization of values or
  rules (Stages 1 2)
• Stage 1 Punishment and Obedience - Right is
  obeying the rules simply to avoid punishment
  because others have power over you and can punish
  you.
• Ex Heinz should not steal the drug because hed
  go to jail if he got caught.

3
Stages of Moral Development (cont.)

• Stage 2 Mutual Benefit - Right is an even or
  fair exchange, so that both parties benefit.
  Moral reasoning guided by a sense of fair play.
• Ex Heinz should steal the drug because the
  druggist is being greedy by charging so much.
• Conventional Level
• Moral reasoning is guided by conformity to social
  roles, rules, and expectations that the person
  has learned and internalized. (Stages 34)

4
Stages of Moral Devlopment (cont.)

• Stage 3 Interpersonal Expectations - Right is
  being a good person by conforming to social
  expectations, such as showing concern for others,
  and following rules set by others so as toin
  their approval. For example, behaving like a
  good child, student, citizen, spouse, friend,
  or employee.
• Ex Heinz should try to steal the drug because
  thats what a devoted husband would do.
• Stage 4 Law and Order - Right is to help
  maintain social order by doing ones duty,
  obeying laws simply because they are laws, and
  showing respect for authorities simply because
  they are authorities

5
Stages of Moral Devlopment (cont.)

• Stage 6 Universal Moral Principles - Right is
  determined by self-chosen ethical principles that
  underscore the persons profound respect for
  ideals such as the sanctity of human life,
  nonviolence, equality, and human dignity. If
  these moral principles conflict with
  democratically determined laws, the persons
  self-chosen moral principles would take
  precedence, such as the conscientious objector
  who refuses to be drafted because of his moral
  principles against war.
• Ex Even if it were a stranger and not his wife,
  Heinz should steal the drug because he must
  follow his own conscience and not let another
  persons desire for monetary gain outweigh the
  value of a human life.

6
Assumptions about Kohlbergs theory of moral
development

• Each individual has a natural right
• Justice is equality
• Morality is independent of religion
• The development of morality from immature to
  mature is necessarily stage-like
• These same moral concepts are basic to all
  cultures, but the rate of progression and the
  endpoint of development vary across persons and
  cultures

7
Cross-cultural study (Snaery, 1985)

• 45 cross-cultural studies based on Kohlbergs
  model showed post-conventional reasoning to be
  totally absent in 100 of the eight traditional
  tribal or village societies studied, whereas
  present, at least to some degree, in 100 of the
  non-Western urban samples.
• Suggests that there are other values and forms of
  reasoning presently missing from Kohlbergs model.

8
Gilligans (1982) critique of Kohlbergs model

• Kohlbergs model of moral development is equated
  with male development
• Based empirically on a study of 84 boys whose
  development Kohlberg followed for a period of 20
  years.
• Women are consistently found to be deficient in
  moral development when measured by Kohlbergs
  scale (often falls into stage 3 interpersonal
  goodness).
• Kohlbergs states that only when women play by
  the rules of men, will their moral perspective
  fully develop.
• Paradox The vary traits that traditionally have
  defined the goodness of women, their care for
  and sensitivity to the needs of others, are those
  that mark them as deficient in moral development.

9
Contrasting Western view with Buddhist view of
moral role model(Heubner Garrod, 1993)

• Western view A moral role mode is an
  autonomous reasoner with a sense of
  individuality, who stands up for his/her rights
  and whose power is measured by the ability to
  exert influence on others.
• Buddhist view A moral role model is one who is
  ultimately connected -- to others, environment,
  and cosmos -- and one whose power is measured by
  the capacity to endure.

10
Buddhist cultures (cont)

• Emphasize compassion and detachment (from
  personal desires and permanence)
• World view is informed by two fundamental
  concepts
• Karma the cosmic law of cause and effect -- all
  bad actions produce bad results and all good
  actions produce good results.
• Dhharma Duty and compassion
• Moral reasoning of a Buddhist emphasize actions
  procedures (the means, not the ends Karma),
  interpersonal responsibility (compassion), and
  adherence to rules (duty).

11
Heinz Dilemma with Tibetan Buddhist Monks
(Heubner Garrod, 1993)

• 20 Monks
• 5 between ages 23 and 24
• 10 between ages 16 and 22
• 5 between ages 23 and 34
• Nobody fell in the postconventional category
  according to Kohlbergs coding scheme
• Responses stressed adherence to and promotion of
  Buddhist commandments (rules) that relate to the
  concept of karma and dharma.

12
continued

• Heinz dilemma 55 chose life 45 chose law.
• Karma could be used to justify either choice.
• Younger monks emphasized the reward/punishment
  aspects of karma
• Older monks emphasized the merit of human life to
  justify saving the wifes life.

13
continued

• Buddhist moral code is non-justice focused. It is
  focused on having compassion for peoples
  suffering.
• This nonjustice focus makes coding for Kohlbergs
  categories especially problematic.
• Compassion is not attained through subsuming
  insights of the lower stages young monks are
  explicitly taught about compassion and are urged
  to practice it.
• Kohlbergs model assumes compassion to be in the
  conventional category, but for Buddhist monks it
  is also in the preconventional category.

14
continued

• Practicing compassion is considered ones duty,
  not ones personal choice.
• Therefore, compassion is circumscribed by a
  duty-based moral code.
• The fact that religiosity can add the component
  of compassion into the existing moral code
  indicates the powerfulness of religion in shaping
  ones moral development
• The concepts of karma and dharma, the role of
  compassion, and the developmental trajectory
  associated with these concepts are not captured
  by Kohlbergs theory and coding manual.