Moral Development
Moral Development asks us three questions: How do people arrive at the moral judgment that an action, real or contemplated, is right or wrong? What are the rules governing these moral calculations, and from where do they come? Which, if any, of the fundamental components are universal?
When speaking of Moral Development, we are speaking of morality. Morality is separated into two sections: Morals and Ethics. Morals are an individuals beliefs about what is right or wrong based on the outcome, while ethics are the normative study of what is right or wrong.
When speaking of Moral Development, we are speaking of morality. Morality is separated into two sections: Morals and Ethics. Morals are an individuals beliefs about what is right or wrong based on the outcome, while ethics are the normative study of what is right or wrong.
Piaget and Morality
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Piaget breaks down moral development into three stages: Pre-Moral, Moral Realism, and Moral Relativism. During the pre-moral stage, children before the age fo five do not think about what makes something right or wrong, simply how it will affect them. In the Moral Realism stage, development is heteronomous, meaning it is dominated by rules imposed by authority figures. When a child nears age ten, however, is when moral relativism begins. In this stage, children begin to think about moral issues for themselves.
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Lawrence Kohlberg Stages of Moral Development
Like Piaget, Kohlberg broke down moral development into several stages and even substages. The following charts will show what these levels are, and some characteristics of each level.
Kohlberg has broken down his levels or stages by a rough time period that will provide a timeline for basic moral development. According to Kohlberg, once you have entered into adulthood, your moral development is near completion, if not already complete. The following video will explain the theories of Kohlberg in detail.
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For my career, again depending on age, having knowledge of moral development will be very important for my career on or off the field. For teaching, I will need to recognize what moral development stage children are in to know what they are thinking about certain actions they or others have performed. The same goes for any team I will be coaching. It will be pertinent for me to understand the different stages of moral development my players or students will be in to better understand their reasoning behind actions or feelings towards others.