Moral Decisons

          In society, citizens are at different stages of their lives. Noted psychologist,
Dr. Lawrence Kohlberg developed a scale to measure the stages of moral development. His
theory became popular when text book author Foigel wrote an article about him. Wrote in
1996, the article talks about the development of the scale used by Kohlberg. From stages
1-6, starting at one with selfish desires and ending at 6 with sacrifice. Rating citizens,
society can measure where individuals are at morally.

          The first stage, stage one, the individual is thinking only about themselves.
Called the "Me" stage, this stage is one young children are in. Punishment, however, does
help the child learn what is acceptable. The only decisions are decisions made based on what
is fun or desirable. The individuals in this stage act without thinking but do not like
punishment, so their decisions are based on punishment as well. They feel as if they must
obey to succeed. This stage is not a desirable stage to be in over the age of 5.
          The next stage, stage two, the individual is thinking about themselves and one other
person. Known also as the "Me + you" stage, the person is thinking about themselves and one
other person.This stage is defined by personal reward, thinking only about what is in it
for themselves. To them, there is no right or wrong and do not consider others points of view.
People in this stage are typically in the preschool age range.
          The third stage, also known as the "Me + family and friends" stage, is defined by the
individual wanting to please others.Typically having 5-12 year olds, the individuals want to
fit in, wanting to be a good boy or a good girl. Above all else, kids in this stage want to
be a part of a group, whether they rebel against their family or not. The persons in this
stage want to do good, but do not know what is right or wrong. The conscience of this person
makes wrong choices but is essentially moral. Because the individual does not know right from
wrong, this is not a desirable stage to be in.

Kholbergs Moral Decisions

          Stage four, the law and order stage, is known as the "Me + Society" stage. Humans in
this stage accept responsibility and show respect for authority. Individuals in this stage conform
to rules in society, hoping to become a good citizen. If an individual is in this stage, they
can be an adequate role model for others. A society needs at least 80% of citizens in this
stage to be successful.
          In stage five, known as the "Me + Welfare of others" stage, individuals look out for
the better good of others. People in this stage are willing to take risks and strive to benefit
society. They want to advocate change and are willing to work to make a difference. Individuals
use their talents and time wisely. A society should have 20% of citizens in this stage, people
who step up as leaders. This brings us to the final stage.
          Stage six, the final stage, is known as "Me + Sacrifice". This is when an individual
gives up comfort and safety to preserve human dignity. There are a very few of these people;
some examples include: Gandhi, Mother Teresa, Medal of Honor recipients and a few others. These
individuals are the people who are internationally famous and strive to change a major problem. 

          These stages reflect on who a person is, and where they are at morally. We are human because
we have an ability to reason, whether we use it or not. An individual cannot skip stages, and moves
up or down a stage when 60% or more of decisions reflect the other stage. What I want all of us
to think about is where are we at morally. Do our decisions reflect a 3 or a 5? Do we strive to
make morally correct decisions? What could we do to change?