Kohlberg applies psychology to the decision making process, and the stages that lead to a morally challenging decision. The focus of his work was the reasoning process of his subjects, rather than the conclusions they came to when faced with his hypothetical moral dilemmas. His subjects demonstrated the development of morality over a lifetime, as well as personal, cultural, and conventional morality. The different levels of morality demonstrate the cognitive sequence of applying moral principles. The cognitive process becomes more complex with each level.
Using Kohlberg's method, I assess a different moral dilemma- Is it justified to take one life in order to save a hundred others?
The first level of morality, preconventional morality concerns the simple debate of right and wrong. For example- Taking a life is wrong. Saving 100 lives is a heroic act.
The second level is conventional morality, and demonstrates the cultural and societal constraints that one faced with this moral dilemma might encounter. For example- The family of the person left behind will be extremely upset, and additionally hurt that so many others were saved with the exception of their family member. One will receive much praise and appreciation from those they would manage to save.
The third level is postconventional morality, and focuses on the personal internal aspect of human morality. For example- By protecting so many lives, one would not necessarily be in violation of the human principle of not physically harming or violating other human lives.
What would you do?
