What are the 6 universal ethical standards?

psu_web_course

Portland State University , Department of Psychology

PSY 311U: HUMAN DEVELOPMENT

Lecture 15

Moral Development: Cognitive-Developmental Approach

  • Lawrence Kohlberg
  • Used philosophy in order to define what is moral 
  • Morality is a philosophical (ethical), rather than a behavioral, concept 

Justice:

  • The most essential structure of morality 
  • Justice = Equality
  • Justice is not a RULE
  • Justice is a MORAL PRINCIPLE
  • Gilligan: CARE

Kohlberg's Method:  

  • Uses Piaget's approach
  • Confronts person with moral dilemma in the form of a story 
  • One example: Heinz dilemma

Moral Development Levels:

  • Preconventional Level: Stages 1 & 2 
  • Conventional Level: Stages 3 & 4 
  • Postconventional (Principled) Level: Stages 5 & 6 

Moral Development:

  • All human beings, everywhere, develop moral thinking through stages 
  • Morality develops slowly

Moral Development (Cont):

  • Broad sweep of moral development:
  • Self-focus / Conformity / Principled Morality

Preconventional Morality: Stages 1 & 2

  • Stages of childhood; unusual in adults 
  • Moral thinking dominated by child's egocentric needs and desires 
  • Moral judgments made solely on basis of anticipated punishment or reward 
  • Perspective of self dominates

Stage 1 Morality: Punishment & Obedience Orientation

  • Decide about issues on basis of personal fear & avoidance of punishment 
  • Physical consequences of action determine its goodness/badness 
  • Stage 1 person avoids trouble by obeying powerful authorities 

Stage 1 Morality: Punishment & Obedience Orientation (Cont): 

  • What is Moral: Obedience to commands of authority in order to avoid punishment 
  • Do what you do in order to avoid displeasing those who have power over you 

Stage 2 Morality: Instrumental Hedonist Orientation

  • What is Moral: Whatever satisfies one's own needs & occasionally needs of others
  • Any behavior is good if outcome is advantageous to self 
  • Stage 2 person inclined to exchange favors 

Stage 2 Morality: Instrumental Hedonist Orientation (Cont):

  • Sense of fair exchange based on pragmatic values 
  • Sense of noninterference in affairs or values of others 
  • About 5% of adults are preconventional, most at Stage 2 

Conventional Morality:  Stages 3 & 4

  • First appears in adolescence
  • Individual has internalized values of others 
  • Moral thinking based on recognition of conventional order & rules/laws laid down by society

Conventional Morality (Cont): Stages 3 & 4

  • See it as valuable to maintain expectations of family, group, nation 
  • CONFORM to these expectations
  • Perspectives of others recognized: particular social groups or authorities 

Stage 3 Morality: Good Boy/Nice Girl Orientation

  • Moral judgments determined by values of others--parents or peers 
  • Emphasis on conformity and being "nice" 
  • What is Moral: Whatever meets expectations of others 
  • Modal stage for women

Stage 4 Morality: Law-and-Order Orientation

  • Sense of duty & positive responsibility to others 
  • Rules & obligations valued because they're necessary for stable society 
  • "What would happen if everybody...?" 

Stage 4 Morality (Cont): Law-and-Order Orientation

  • What is Moral: ... 
  • Doing one's duty
  • Showing respect for authority
  • Maintaining social order for its own sake 
  • Modal stage for men

Postconventional (Principled) Morality: STAGES 5 & 6

  • If it develops at all, not until adulthood 
  • Rooted in principles of justice that are valid apart from authority 
  • Based on rational considerations of moral obligation 
  • Perspective of all individuals 
  • Only 1/6 to 1/8 of adults

Stage 5 Morality:Social Contract Orientation

  • Concern for creation of "good" laws & rules that maximize individual welfare
  • Rules are social contracts made for a specific purpose 
  • Contract is essential obligation, not content of rule 

Stage 5 Morality (Cont): Social Contract Orientation 

  • Majority will & majority welfare important 
  • Greatest good for greatest number 
  • What is Moral: Standards democratically agreed upon by whole society 

Stage 6 Morality: Universal Ethical Principle Orientation

  • Respect for equal value of lives 
  • Respect for all persons as ends (not as means to an end) 
  • Self-chosen, fully internalized principles that are universally valid 

Stage 6 Morality (Cont): Universal Ethical Principle Orientation 

  • What is Moral: Decision of conscience in accord with self-chosen ethical principles
  • Universal principles of justice 
  • Reciprocity & equality of human rights 
  • Respect for dignity of human beings as individual persons 

END

Your Notes

What are the 6 ethical standards?

The principles are beneficence, non-maleficence, autonomy, justice; truth-telling and promise-keeping.

What are the universal ethics of standards?

Universal ethical standards are norms that apply to all people across a broad spectrum. Ethics has six core values and they are: trustworthiness, respect, responsibility, fairness, caring, and citizenship.

What are the 5 ethical standards?

Moral Principles Reviewing these ethical principles which are at the foundation of the guidelines often helps to clarify the issues involved in a given situation. The five principles, autonomy, justice, beneficence, nonmaleficence, and fidelity are each absolute truths in and of themselves.

What are the 7 ethical principles in ethics?

WHAT ARE THE 7 MAIN ETHICAL PRINCIPLES IN NURSING AND WHY THEY ARE IMPORTANT? There are seven primary ethical principles of nursing: accountability, justice, nonmaleficence, autonomy, beneficence, fidelity, and veracity.