Moral Dilemma Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Moral Dilemma - Research Paper Example This essay implements both of these theorists’ perspectives, in characterizing the moral development of am eleven-year-old child named Jeremy. Jeremy is an eleven-year-old child who has been faced with a moral dilemma surrounding his actions on a test. The specific scenario is that Jeremy, who has struggled in math, has been promised an increase in weekly allowance if he improves in math by one letter grade. During a math exam, he decided to look on a couple of his peers’ papers and change his answers accordingly. He ended up getting a perfect score, raising his grade by a letter grade, and receiving an increase in allowance. While Jeremy has been successful in his pursuit of a higher grade, it’s clear that his actions constitute moral impropriety. As established, Jeremy’s actions in cheating on his text represent morally improper actions. Still, the question remains whether such immorality is an aberration or is an age appropriate indication of Jeremy’s stage of moral and cognitive development. These concerns have been examined by both Piaget and Kohlberg. Both of these theorists implement a developmental model with stages of the individual passes through (Douglas 1993). Kohlberg’s theory of moral development functions within the overarching context of Piaget’s theory of cognitive development (Douglas 1993). In considering Kohlberg’s theory of moral development within the context of Jeremy’s situation, it’s clear that Jeremy is acting at an age appropriate level. Perhaps the prominent consideration in terms of Jeremy’s development is what Kohlberg terms the pre-conventional stage of development. For individuals at Jeremy’s age, the age appropriate level is the se cond stage of the pre-operational stage. According to Kohlberg & Lickona (1976) this stage is characteristic of acting in ways that directly benefit the self without disregard for larger moral concerns. It’s clear that