Final Term Paper #1

GED 107 – Ethics

I. Instruction: From the video shared in the stream -- which focuses on Moral Theory, you are
tasked to create your own outline. Please be guided with the sample format below. You can
extend and elaborate the points/concepts discussed in the video. Don’t limit yourself into two to
three main topics only. Discuss each statement using your own words, please be reminded that
plagiarism check is activated.

Title: MORAL DEVELOPMENT THEORY

A. Moral Development Theory in Hypothetical Dilemma’s or Scenarios among Children
1. Lawrence Kohlberg studied children's moral behavior to see how their moral abilities
develop and how moral values change over time. He chose mostly young boys, ranging in
age from early childhood to late adolescence, and for his research, he asked them about
hypothetical ethical dilemmas, leading him to the Heinz Dilemma, the most well-known
scenario. In Heinz's Dilemma, a man steals a drug from a chemist to save his dying wife
because he cannot afford it after the chemist demanded a higher price. His research with
young children revealed a pattern that appears to follow a progression of moral reasoning,
laying the groundwork for ethical behavior and moral development.
a. In the aforementioned dilemma, he recognizes that there is a concerned principle
in moral development where justice is determined and will continue throughout
time. This research allows Kohlberg to develop the well-known six stages of
moral development, which are divided into three levels: pre-conventional,
conventional, and post-conventional.
B. Moral Development Theory in Children and Other Individuals
1. Kohlberg pursued and analyzed all of the different developmental behaviors of children
with their actions and interest in their moral behaviors, resulting in the formation of six
stages of moral development. As a result, these three levels of moral development, which
are divided into two phases, address the most crucial behaviors of children and other
individuals as they progressed through these stages.
a. According to these levels, the first level, the Pre-conventional, is primarily
concerned with the consequences of one's actions, among other things, and can
be verified in order to pursue interests and avoid punishment. It also claims that
children's morality is governed by their parents, elders, and teachers, and that
children's judgment is primarily focused on external consequences. Furthermore,
their morals about right and wrong have not yet developed or reached in this
level. An example of these are the following stages:
i. First Stage: Punishment and Authority: These children follow their
parents' rules and only obey the rules of higher authorities such as elders
and other personnel in order to avoid being punished for their actions.
Not following them will lead them to think of punishment and not
reward.
ii. Second Stage: One’s own Interest or Advantage: The children believe
that good behavior will benefit them and that they will be rewarded for it.
 Their moral decision and moral reasoning are influenced by the reward
they may receive for their actions and their concern for others.
b. The second level, the Conventional, is primarily concerned with societal
relationships, with a particular emphasis on social conformity, in which children
and other persons alter their self-interest in relationships with others. According
to Kohlberg, they will work to uphold the authorities' regulations in order to
acquire trust and preserve positive relationships with other authorities. An
example of these are the following stages:
iii. Third Stage: Peer and Group Acceptance: Individuals in this stage are
concerned about their relationships with other peers, in which they seek
approval, and according to Kohlberg, the reactions of others are the
foundation of the individuals’ decision-making and behavior. Individuals
who follow this practice maintain a positive and close relationship with
others.
iv. Fourth Stage: Legalistic Orientation: Individuals obey and respect the
law's authorities, and they follow the law's obligations and orders. The
behavior of children relates to this stage because they likely to follow or
obey these regulations in order to keep society well-organized and well-
mannered.
c. The third level, known as Post-conventional, is recognized for being the most
difficult, and it focuses on universal moral principles, in which individuals make
decisions based on their moral principles, which may be contrary to society
standards. At this level, the individual also believes that other laws are unjust and
unethical, and they may break rules that contradict their ideas and ideals.
Individuals in this stage, according to Kohlberg, have their own ethical standards,
such as having basic human rights such as justice. He also noted that laws and
rules are only believed to be a mechanism that brings harmony and order to
society. An example of these are the following stages:
v. Fifth Stage: Common Good: Individuals are concerned about the well-
being of others and their understanding of social reciprocity. Laws and
social contracts exist solely for the benefit of the community and the
equal protection of individual rights.
vi. Sixth Stage: Respect for the Universal Principle: This stage is concerned
with an individual's social principles, such as equality and dignity.
According to Kohlberg, an individual's moral decision is based on his or
her own conscience, not on the laws and rules of society with respect to
it.
2. As the children developed their moral reasoning and morality under these circumstances,
the concept of these levels and stages had an impact on their moral reasoning and
morality. The most important findings of its range from not knowing what is right and
wrong in developing moral decisions and moral reasoning. We should expect children in
their adolescence and mature years to have their own reasoning about the things they do,
and they should be prepared for the consequences or punishment that one of these actions
may bring
C. Personal Insight/Conclusions
1. Moral theory suggests that every individual’s morals, grow and develop over time and it
changes the personality of one’s self. Creating justifiable and accepting truth leads them
to ask themselves about the actions that they are doing. Contemplating their decisions and
reasoning will really help the individual to really understand the situations he or she is
dealing with.
2. It resonates with moral decisions and moral reasoning of a person.
3. I have learned that there are many stages that may occur on the emphasis of moral
development and knowing these stages helps me to understand the development of
morals in one’s self and how these stages are achieved.
● QUESTION#1: From the levels/stages given, which do you think describes your disposition and
moral character and why?
 The Conventional level because showing interest from relationship can give me the most
positive feeling I can ever had. Knowing how to trust someone and acquiring the trust of
that individual will give me strength and determination to go through any situations that I
may encounter. This also leads me to become friendly and respectful to others because as
I grow, I see some changes with my personality and it really help me to acquire more
friends and to gain more ties with my family.
● QUESTION#2: How Kohlberg’s moral theory recognize/relates to the following terms (In
general):
a. Family background
 In this, it relates to how the family will handle the children and how they will be
rewarded or punished for the actions that they did. The family background had a lot of
impact on the children’s mental health because in a scenario of parents always punishing
and parents always rewarding their children, the punished children can cut ties to their
family and the rewarded children can become lazy, spoiled, or pampered. It should be
balanced to avoid any of these.
b. Personality
 In terms of personality, the children can change their feelings toward others if there is a
situation where they feel unease for other peers or change in behavior relationships
towards family and other relatives.
c. Social factors
 In this, it can affect the social well-being of an individual if the person/s contradicts the
beliefs and religious method of that individual.

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