Question

Candice is presented with a moral dilemma. She responds by saying that the person in the dilemma should choose a course of action that will ensure that the community as a whole will not disapprove of the person's action.
Candice's response reflects Lawrence Kohlberg's ________ reasoning level of moral development.

A. autonomous moral
B. preconventional
C. postconventional
D. conventional

Answer 1

Answer:

d. conventional

Explanation:

Kohlberg did some studies on morality and proposed a theory on moral development.

Kohlberg defined three different levels of morality (and each level consists in 2 stages). These levels are:

• preconventional,
• conventional and
• postconventional

In the preconventional level, the person's morality is externally controlled and therefore acts based on what the punishment or reward will be (1st stage) or based on how good will it be for him/her to act in some way (2nd stage)

The conventional level stages also have to to with external controls but now the person thinks in function of ensure positive relationships and societal order. The third stage here depends on the approval of others. The fourth stage has to do with accepting rules because they preserve the society order  and functioning.

The postconventional level stages are defined in more abstract principles or values. The 5th stage sees the world as a place with different values that must be respected. Finally the 6th stage is based in universal ethical abstract principles.

In this example, Candice is presented with a moral dilemma, she said the person should take a course of action that will ensure that the community will not disapprove of the person's action. We can see that her response has to do with external controls, specifically with the approval of the community as a whole. We know that in the conventional level, the 3rd stage has to do with the approval of others. Therefore, Candice's response reflects Lawrence Kohlberg's conventional level of moral development.