Question Details

At which stage of Lawrence Kohlberg’s theory of moral development do individuals believe that actively maintaining the current social system ensures positive human relationships and societal order ?

Options

A

The punishment and obedience orientation

B

The social-order maintaining orientation

C

The instrumental purpose orientation

D

The universal ethical principle orientation

Show Answer

Correct Answer :

Option B

The social-order maintaining orientation

Solution :

The correct answer is "The social-order maintaining orientation".


Lawrence Kohlberg proposed a comprehensive theory detailing six distinct stages of moral development grouped into three broad levels: Pre-conventional, Conventional, and Post-conventional morality.


Detailed Explanation of Stages:

1. Stage 4: The Social-Order Maintaining Orientation
This stage falls under Level II: Conventional Morality. At this stage, individuals take societal laws, rules, authority, and duty into account. Moral judgments are driven by a belief that actively maintaining the social order, respecting authority, and carrying out one's duties ensures positive human relationships, societal predictability, and functional social harmony.


2. Other Options Overview:
- The punishment and obedience orientation (Stage 1): Morality is framed around avoiding punishment and strictly obeying physical power.
- The instrumental purpose orientation (Stage 2): Right action consists of what satisfies one's own needs and occasionally the needs of others in an exchange-based manner ("tit-for-tat").
- The universal ethical principle orientation (Stage 6): Right is defined by self-chosen ethical principles of conscience that are valid for all humanity, regardless of law or social agreement.


Therefore, individual focus on upholding rules and law to preserve social structure and positive societal order directly corresponds to The social-order maintaining orientation (Stage 4).

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