Moral Development Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Moral Development - Essay Example Indeed, transparency is very significant in professional and working ethics where it reveals all actions, plans, motives, and data of individuals and organizations to the relevant stakeholders (Learn Well Resources, 2012, p.1). Where stakeholders may include shareholders of certain organizations the directors and management of such organizations should avail all information pertaining to the status of the organizations to enable the shareholders to make necessary decisions on the same. Additionally, transparency is a legal requirement that all organizations should adhere to enable the government make a financial follow up on public organizations. Lawrence Kohlberg is a scholar that concentrated on both psychology and philosophy. He put much emphasis on moral development and proposed a 6-stage theory of moral thinking that advances the Piaget’s theory on moral development. He relevantly interviewed both children and adolescents about moral dilemmas to deduce three levels of mor al development classified in six stages. The three Kohlberg’s levels of moral development include pre-conventional morality, conventional morality, and post-conventional morality levels (Crain, 2010, p.18-20). Level1. Pre-Conventional Morality The first stage of this level is the obedience and punishment orientation stage. According to Kohlberg, this stage is common with young children though adults can also express their reasoning at this stage. Children in this case obey rules in response to consequences of punishment involved. They do not do things because they are right but only obeys what the authorities’ permits. They do not have a societal voice but term morality as an external command from the adults. The second stage of this level is the individualism and exchange stage. At this stage, children value actions in relation to how they satisfy individual interests and not necessarily their morality. They recognize that there are varieties of right things permitted by the authorities with the best option serving one's own interests. Again, they realize that punishment from authorities or adults is just a natural risk that one needs to avoid. As such, their voice is still isolated from that of the society, as they do not identify with members of society (Crain, 2010, p.19-22). Level 2. Conventional Morality This level entails stage three of moral development that is interpersonal relationships. At this level, individuals seek to live up to social expectations and roles. This clearly affects the interpersonal relationship in a society depending on the choices different people make. At this stage, teens see morality as the way people should live and behave as expected by the family and society. They regard morality as having good motives and interpersonal feelings like compassion, kindness, love, and trust. Stage 4 involves maintaining social order. At this stage, individuals tend to consider the entire society while making personal judgments. T hey aim at being responsible, following set rules, and respecting the authorities with an aim of maintaining social order. This stage boils down to one-to one relationship where one considers the others feelings and offers help where they can (Crain, 2010, p.22-27). Level 3. Post conventional Morality This level entails stage five of moral development that involves social contract and individual rights. At this stage, individuals seek to accommodate others different opinions, values, and beliefs. They agree on rational standards to apply in the society. They adopt the common belief where all are entitled to benefit from what they do. Universal Principles is the last stage of moral development according to Kohlberg. He based it on universal ethical principles and abstract reasoning. This stage defines the