Child Development

Comparison of Conventional and Post-Conventional Moral Thinking

In morality thinking at the conventional level, an individual build choices from a member of society perspective, taking into consideration the good of others, the preservation of positive relations, and the rules, norms, and opportunities of society. An individual will try to do the accepted thing to gain approval from other people and to maintain good relationship and conformed to authority to avoid censure and guilt. An individual will emphasize being a good person that basically means having helpful motives toward people close to one.

While in morality thinking at the post-conventional level, an individual explain from a priority of society perspective in which conceptual ideals take priority over particular public laws. Also in this level, an individual will voluntarily comply with rules on the basis of ethical principles and make exceptions to rules in certain circumstances. Lastly in this level, an individual will be less concerned with maintaining society for its own sake, and be more concerned with the principles and values that make for its good and put an emphasis on basic rights and the democratic processes that give everyone say and a definition in the principles by which agreements will be most just (Kincheloe & Horn, 2007).

An example of this is a young man and woman talking about a new law. The man says that everybody should follow it, like it or not, since laws are crucial to social group (conventional level). The woman remarks, however, that some well organized societies, such as Nazi Germany, were not mostly moral. The man therefore notices that some evidence contradicts his view. He experiences some Nazi Germany, were not particularly moral. The man hence sees that some evidence opposes his analysis. He experiences some cognitive conflict and is motivated to think about the matter more fully (post-conventional level).

Reference List

Kincheloe, J.L., & Horn, R.A. (Eds.). (2007). The Praeger Handbook of Education and Psychology. Westport, CT: Praeger Publishers.