THE DEVELOPMENT OF MORALITY IN HUMAN LIFE: AN OVERVIEW

Dr. Desh Raj Sirswal Assistant Professor (Philosophy),

P.G.Govt. College for Girls, Sector-11, Chandigarh The Positive
P.G.G.C.G.-11 P h i l o s o p h y
CHANDIGARG Programme Coordinator, Centre for Positive Philosophy and Interdisciplinary Studies (CPPIS), Pehowa (Kurukshetra).
Introduction Kohlberg's Theory of Moral Development:
Ethics is the discipline which is an important branch of philosophy which Lawrence Kohlberg developed a theory of stages of ethical development.
devotes itself to the study of moral concepts and undertakes the critical tasks He admired Piaget's approach to studying children's conceptions of morality.
of understanding the real meaning of moral notions and their significance If Piaget saw children as little logicians, he viewed them as moral philosophers.
to our lives. This is our intention is to discuss an important ethical issue i.e. Levels Stages Definition
the development of morality. Pre-conventional 1.Obediece and punishment Based on avoiding punishment, a focus on the
consequences of actions, rather than intentions,
intrinsic deference to authority.

2. Individualism and exchange The “right” behaviors are those that are in best
interest of oneself; tit for tat morality

Conventional 3. Interpersonal relationships “good boy/good girl” attitude, sees individuals as

filling social roles
4. Authority and social order Law and order as highest ideals, social obedience is
a must to maintaining a functional society
Post-conventional 5. Social contract Begin to learn others' have different values;
The Development of Morality realization that law is contingent on culture
6. Universal Principles Develop internal moral principles; individual begins
The development of morality in each stage depends on the basis of standard to obey these above the law

of morality and it passes through the following stages: Gilligan's Theory of Morality
The Level of Instinctive Morality: In this first stage, an individual works Carol Gilligan, a student of Kohlberg's, contends that girls and women tend
on the basis of instinctive tendencies and he regards only that action as to approach moral issues differently, are more focused on caring than on
morally right which satisfy his instinctive carving, that action as wrong which rules and duty. Gilligan developed her own set of stages:
fails to do so.
Stages Description
The Level of Customary Morality :In this stage customs and conventions
Preconventional Goal is individual survival
become the basis of morality. The individual at this stage holds that action as
Transition is from selfishness to a recognition of responsibility to others
morality which is in keeping with a well-established custom, and that action Transition

which violates it, is considered as morally undesirable.

Conventional Self-sacrifice is goodness
The Level of Reflective Morality: In this stage, conscience guides human
beings in moral matters; their moral judgments of right and wrong, good and Transition Transition is from goodness to the truth that she is a person too

bad depend on conscience which holds the moral authority and principles of Postconventional Principle of nonviolence: do not hurt others or self
deciding between right and wrong.
There are certain forces which are responsible for the breakdown of customary
morality and reinforcing the reflective morality instead. These factors and Morality in Public Life
causes have been subjected to a keen analysis and investigation by John Dewey Public morality refers to moral and ethical standards enforced in a
and Tuft. society, by law or police work or social pressure, and applied to public
Morality in Personal Life life, to the content of the media, and to conduct in public places.
The function of personal morality is to help each of us realize the meaning It is grounded in the notion of responsibility and accountability.
of our life in the world through being a person and living the personal life Conclusion:
of a self in the world. Moral development means children's reasoning about
morality, their attitudes toward moral lapses, and their behavior when faced The development of morality as discussed above is not historical development.
with moral issues.The following psychologists discussed about the moral So , the above mentioned moral development according to
development in a man: psychological points of view as it is also of an important concern. The truth
Jean Piaget's Theory of Moral Development: is that this development is only logical, because in it the three states are
distinguished and arranged in above order according to their moral
Stages Age Range Description
significance only. It is, therefore, worthwhile to discuss here the exact nature
Sensorimotor 0-2 years Object permanence recognized by a child.
and significance of these stages.
Preoperational 2-7 years Egocentric thought, child lacks ability to decenter.

Concrete Operations 7-11 years References:

No abstract reasoning or the ability to test hypotheses.
Allyn Travis (2008), The Development of Morality in the First and Second Planes of
Formal Operations 11-15 years Children begin to reason abstractly. Development, Association Montessori International, USA.
S.N.Gupta, Ethics (Indian and Western), Bharat Prakashan (Regd.), Jalandhar City.
In Piaget's theory, moral thought has two stages: heteronomous morality, Veena Kapoor (2011) “Morality in Personal Life” in Philosophy, Part-I, USOL,
Panjab University, Chandigarh..
associated with moral realism ('being subject to another's laws or rules'),
Greg Feldmeth (States of Moral Development,
and autonomous morality, associated with moral relativism ('being subject http://faculty.polytechnic.org/gfeldmeth/21.lec.stages.pdf
to one's own laws or rules'). The stages are not mutually exclusive (e.g. most J. S. Fleming (2006) Piaget, Kohlberg, Gilligan, and Others on Moral Development.
adults show a combination of both). http://swppr.org/Textbook/Ch%207%20Morality.pdf
“Ethics in Public Life” in Chankaya Civil Service Today, July 2013.