Moral Development

2 Morality A concern with the distinction between right and wrong or between good and evil

3 Lawrence Kohlberg The founding of Israel The letter of the law vs. a higher law How do people develop morally?

4 Kohlberg’s Method Initial research: year old boys Interview: Present a moral dilemma Interested in the reasoning behind the answer

5 Dilemma: What would you do? In Europe, a woman was near death from a special kind of cancer. There was one drug that the doctors thought might save her. It was a form of radium that a druggist in the same town had recently discovered. the drug was expensive to make, but the druggist was charging ten times what the drug cost him to make. He paid $400 for the radium and charged $4,000 for a small dose of the drug. The sick woman's husband, Heinz, went to everyone he knew to borrow the money and tried every legal means, but he could only get together about $2,000, which is half of what it cost. He told the druggist that his wife was dying, and asked him to sell it cheaper or let him pay later. But the druggist said, "No, I discovered the drug and I'm going to make money from it." So, having tried every legal means, Heinz gets desperate and considers breaking into the man's store to steal the drug for his wife.

6 Stages of Moral Development Pre-Conventional Morality (Level I) Stage 1: Obedience and punishment orientation Stage 2: Individualism and exchange Conventional Morality (Level II) Stage 3: Good boy/Good girl orientation Stage 4: Law and order orientation

7 Stages of Moral Development Post-Conventional Morality (Stage III) Stage 5: Social contract orientation Stage 6: Universal ethical principles

8 Criticisms of Kohlberg’s Theory People should not place own principles above society and law Kohlberg’s stages culturally biased Gilligan: Kohlberg’s stages gender-biased

9 Gilligan’s Stages of Moral Development Pre-Conventional Pre-Conventional: Goal is individual survival Transition from selfishness to responsibility Conventional Conventional: Self-sacrifice is goodness Transition from goodness to truth that she is a person too Post-Conventional Post-Conventional: Principle of nonviolence

Religion Religion

11 Religion as a Social Institution Religion: Religion: Set of institutionalized beliefs and practices that deal with the meaning of life Beliefs and actions related to the supernatural Relieves anxiety when the world doesn’t make sense

12 Elements of Religion Religious Beliefs Religious Beliefs Religious Rituals Religious Rituals Subjective Experience Subjective Experience Community Community

13 Elements of Religion Religious Beliefs: Religious Beliefs: Define the supernatural/divine order, clarify humans’ role Organize perceptions of the world Create a guide for behavior

14 Elements of Religion Religious Beliefs: Religious Beliefs: Myth: Narrative stories about supernatural forces or beings Serve to express core beliefs and teach morality Transmit information about survival and conservation Doctrine: Direct statements about religious beliefs Written, formal

15 Elements of Religion Religious Rituals: Religious Rituals: Formal enactments of religious beliefs Activities have symbolic meanings

16 Elements of Religion Religious Rituals: Religious Rituals: Periodic rituals

17 Elements of Religion Religious Rituals: Religious Rituals: Periodic rituals Life-cycle rituals Life-cycle rituals Separation Separation Transition Transition Reintegration Reintegration

18 Elements of Religion Religious Rituals: Religious Rituals: Periodic rituals Life-cycle rituals Separation Transition Reintegration Pilgrimage Pilgrimage

19 Religious Rituals: Religious Rituals: Periodic rituals Life-cycle rituals Separation Transition Reintegration Pilgrimage Rituals of inversion Rituals of inversion Elements of Religion

20 Elements of Religion Religious Rituals: Religious Rituals: Periodic rituals Life-cycle rituals Separation Transition Reintegration Pilgrimage Rituals of inversion Sacrifice Sacrifice

21 Elements of Religion Subjective Experiences: Subjective Experiences: Arise out of rituals and beliefs Religion provides framework to interpret inner states

22 Elements of Religion Community: Community: Shared beliefs, rituals, experiences create a community of believers

23 An Evolutionary Model of Religion Magic  Religion  Science Magic: Magic: People’s attempt to compel supernatural forces/beings to act in certain ways Imitative magic: Contagious magic: Arose out of need for explanation; esp. difference between living and dead Animism: Animism:

24 A Functionalist Theory of Religion Durkheim: Durkheim: Societies distinguish between Sacred: That which is holy, inspires awe, must be treated with respect Profane: Ordinary, everyday things that may be treated casually

25 A Functionalist Theory of Religion Totem: Sacred emblem that members of a group treat with reverence To Durkheim, totems were symbols of deity and symbols of society Experiences we categorize as religious are responses to social forces Role of science vs. role of religion

26 A Conflict Theory of Religion Marx: Marx: Religion serves the interests of the ruling elite Masks the exploitation of the workers and the class inequality of capitalism Alienation

27 Types of Religious Organizations Established church Organization that claims unique legitimacy Has positive relationship with society

28 Types of Religious Organizations Sect Organization that claims unique legitimacy Stands apart from society

29 Types of Religious Organizations Denomination Organization that accepts legitimacy of other religions Has positive relationship with society

30 Types of Religious Organizations Cult Organization that accepts legitimacy of other religions Has negative relationship with society

31 Dilemmas of Institutionalization Mixed motivations Symbol systems Organization Letter vs. spirit of religious law Conversion vs. coercion