Business Ethics - Kohlberg`s Scale

Kohlberg 's Scale

On Lawrence Kohlberg`s moral development scale , I consider myself to be a tenuous Level 2 , Stage 4 . I believe that I have a good understanding of what it means to do something in to maintain the social In fact , maintaining the social does mean something to me , in that I understand that society 's laws exist for a reason--to maintain society as a whole--and that failure to maintain these laws would be to the detriment of everyone who lives in our society because of the dis and violence that

could ensue

This perspective is in accordance with Kohlberg 's Level 2 , Stage 4 , in that I have a focus on obeying laws , respecting authority , and performing one 's duties so that the social is maintained (Crain 1985 , par . 23 . I do not believe I am at the next level of development because I tend to think in terms of , rather in what is good for society . As I follow current events , however , I am beginning to examine the workings of society , particularly in terms of business and government , more closely . I feel that I am progressing toward Postconventional Morality however , I do not feel that I am quite there yet . Crain states that most people with postconventional morality basically believe that a good society is best conceived as a social contract into which people freely enter to work toward the benefit of all (1985 , par . 27 . I do not feel comfortable with that definition however , because I am not certain how society can be a freely entered contract when people who are born into that society are expected to conform

My concern about Kohlberg , however , is that my beliefs would only put me midway on a moral scale , when I feel that I am a moral person . I also feel that his stages are somewhat artificial : although I believe in , I can also understand civil disobedience even if I may or may not participate in it myself . While Kohlberg 's scale might be suitable for categorizing children , I question its usefulness with adults , who might not fit easily into one level

Reference

Crain , W . C (1985 . Theories of Development . Prentice-Hall . pp 118-136...