Moral and Prosocial
Development
Moral Dilemmas
The Overcrowded Lifeboat
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In 1842, a ship struck an iceberg and more than 30 survivors were crowded into a
lifeboat intended to hold 7. As a storm threatened, it became obvious that the
lifeboat would have to be lightened if anyone were to survive. The captain
reasoned that the right thing to do in this situation was to force some individuals
to go over the side and drown. Such an action, he reasoned, was not unjust to
those thrown overboard, for they would have drowned anyway. If he did nothing,
however, he would be responsible for the deaths of those whom he could have
saved. Some people opposed the captain's decision. They claimed that if nothing
were done and everyone died as a result, no one would be responsible for these
deaths. On the other hand, if the captain attempted to save some, he could do so
only by killing others and their deaths would be his responsibility; this would be
worse than doing nothing and letting all die. The captain rejected this reasoning.
Since the only possibility for rescue required great efforts of rowing, the captain
decided that the weakest would have to be sacrificed. In this situation it would be
absurd, he thought, to decide by drawing lots who should be thrown overboard.
As it turned out, after days of hard rowing, the survivors were rescued and the
captain was tried for his action. If you had been on the jury, how would you have
decided?
Moral Dilemmas
The Overcrowded Lifeboat
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In the novel Sophie's Choice, by William Styron (Vintage Books, 1976 -- the
1982 movie starred Meryl Streep & Kevin Kline), a Polish woman, Sophie
Zawistowska, is arrested by the Nazis and sent to the Auschwitz death camp. On
arrival, she is "honored" for not being a Jew by being allowed a choice: One of
her children will be spared the gas chamber if she chooses which one. In an agony
of indecision, as both children are being taken away, she suddenly does choose.
They can take her daughter, who is younger and smaller. Sophie hopes that her
older and stronger son will be better able to survive, but she loses track of him
and never does learn of his fate. Did she do the right thing? Years later, haunted
by the guilt of having chosen between her children, Sophie commits suicide.
Should she have felt guilty?
Moral Dilemmas
The Costly Underwater Tunnel
Background:
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112 men were killed during the construction of Hoover Dam
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Empire State Building: Expected deaths (120): one man would die for every story
In fact only 5 men died in the whole project.
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The Golden Gate Bridge cost 14 lives.
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The Tunnel under the English Channel, built in the early 1990's, cost 11 lives.
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When the Gateway Arch in St. Louis was being planned, the prediction was that
15 workers would die, but none did.
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No one died during the carving of Mt. Rushmore.
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John Hancock Building in Chicago (1970) cost 109 lives (about one per floor, as
predicted for the Empire State Building).
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27 died on the Brooklyn Bridge.
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All such bridges and tunnels eliminate the need for ferry boats. Even in recent
years, ferry sinkings and accidents are common, and they still result in the deaths
of hundreds of people at a time.
Moral Dilemmas
The Costly Underwater Tunnel
An underwater tunnel is being constructed despite an almost certain loss
of several lives. Presumably the expected loss is a calculated cost that
society is prepared to pay for having the tunnel. At a critical moment
when a fitting must be lowered into place, a workman is trapped in a
section of the partly laid tunnel. If it is lowered, it will surely crush the
trapped workman to death. Yet, if it is not and a time consuming
rescue of the workman is attempted, the tunnel will have to be
abandoned and the whole project begun anew. Two workmen have
already died in the project as a result of anticipated and unavoidable
conditions in the building of the tunnel. What should be done?
Moral Dilemmas
A Callous Passerby
Roger Smith, a quite competent swimmer, is out for a leisurely stroll.
During the course of his walk he passes by a deserted pier from
which a teenage boy who apparently cannot swim has fallen into the
water. The boy is screaming for help. Smith recognizes that there is
absolutely no danger to himself if he jumps in to save the boy; he
could easily succeed if he tried. Nevertheless, he chooses to ignore
the boy's cries. The water is cold and he is afraid of catching a cold -he doesn't want to get his good clothes wet either. "Why should I
inconvenience myself for this kid," Smith says to himself, and passes
on. Does Smith have a moral obligation to save the boy? If so,
should he have a legal obligation as well?
Kohlberg’s Stages of Moral
Reasoning
• 1. Preconventional (Focus on self, avoid
punishment, obey authority)
• 2. Conventional (Focus on how others will
see you, social rules, obey laws/norms)
• 3. Post-conventional (Focus on ideals,
principles, values, and rights “life is sacred”)
4 Component Model of Morality
Moral reasoning alone is insufficient to produce moral
behaviour
• 1. Moral sensitivity (interpreting the situation as
moral).
• 2. Moral judgment (judging which of the
available actions are most justified).
• 3. Moral motivation (prioritising moral issues).
• 4. Moral character (being able to construct and
implement moral actions).