Professional Ethics by S.Arunachalam, A.P/EEE St.

Joseph's
 Moral development
› Development of moral autonomy
 Cognitive development
› Development of I.Q

Transition from stage to stage is fueled by

cognitive development

Professional Ethics by S.Arunachalam, A.P/EEE St.Joseph's

 Pre conventional level
 Conventional level
 Post conventional level

Professional Ethics by S.Arunachalam, A.P/EEE St.Joseph's

 Self interest dominates and individuals
are motivated to satisfy their needs
 Wants to avoid punishment
› Me against the world
 Recognize that your friend will help as
long as you help him
› You scratch my back and I will scratch you
 Behave according to socially
acceptable norms
Professional Ethics by S.Arunachalam, A.P/EEE St.Joseph's
 Norms of the family, group or society are
accepted as ethical requirements
 Desire to please others at the cost of his
self interests
 Recognition of good and bad and fear
for law and order are developed at this
level
 Many studies of Kohlberg reveal that
most of the adults are living at this level
only
Professional Ethics by S.Arunachalam, A.P/EEE St.Joseph's
 One clearly understands the principles of
ethics, the right and wrong and also
duties and responsibilities to society
 They cannot accept unethical practices
of others and do their best to tutor others
 They do what is morally correct with out
any ulterior motive.
 They are willing to risk their chance for
others
Professional Ethics by S.Arunachalam, A.P/EEE St.Joseph's
 How to judge, whether an individual
belongs to first, or second, or third level?
 What is the correct stage to specify
moral development or growth?
 How does one say that the higher level
represent more advanced stage of
moral maturity?
 Only few people reach the post
conventional level
Professional Ethics by S.Arunachalam, A.P/EEE St.Joseph's
 Former student of and colleague of
Kohlberg
 Samples used by Kohlberg are male
samples
 Men solve problem by applying abstract
moral principles
 Resolve moral dilemma by applying most
important moral rule
 Women's focus their attention to the
context of the problem.
 They try harder to preserve their personal
relationship with all people involed

Professional Ethics by S.Arunachalam, A.P/EEE St.Joseph's

 Pre conventional level
 Conventional level
 Post conventional level

Professional Ethics by S.Arunachalam, A.P/EEE St.Joseph's

 Almost the same as Kohlberg’s first level
 Self centered reasoning

Professional Ethics by S.Arunachalam, A.P/EEE St.Joseph's

 This level differs from Kohlberg’s second
level
 Women will not hurt others and have
willingness to sacrifice their own interests
in order to help others

Professional Ethics by S.Arunachalam, A.P/EEE St.Joseph's

 Individual is able to balance his own
needs with the needs of others
 The balancing can be achieved through
context oriented reasoning rather than
by applying abstract rules ranked in
hierarchy

Professional Ethics by S.Arunachalam, A.P/EEE St.Joseph's

A woman living in Europe, who will die from
cancer unless she obtains an expensive drug
that the doctors think will help her. Her husband,
Heinz’s, cannot afford to purchase the drug. The
local pharmacist is charging ten times the cost of
making the drug. He also invented the drug and
remains the sole source for obtaining it. The
husband goes to everyone he know seeking to
borrow money, but he manages to raise only half
the money needed to purchase the drug. When
he asks the pharmacist to sell the drug at a
cheaper price or let him pay for it later, the
pharmacist refuse. In desperation, Heinz breaks
into the pharmacy and steals the drug. Was the
theft morally right or wrong ?
Professional Ethics by S.Arunachalam, A.P/EEE St.Joseph's