Transcript CH 7: Morality, Religion, & Justice

Morality, Religion, & Justice
Objectives:
Understand the history of perspectives
taken when analyzing cultural differences
Describe ethnocentrism
3 Interpretive Models of Culture
 Universalism= We are all mostly the same…you say
potato, I say potahto; who cares?” Cultural diversity
mostly superficial.
 Evolutionism =progressive change on the road to
improvement. Cultural difference seen as reflecting
different levels of maturity and advanced thinking.
 Relativism= cultural difference is “relative” to you.
Emphasis on the “WHY” of difference; cognitive
component. No one superior way, no one culture
any better than another.
Ethnocentrism
Belief/assumption that one’s own culture is
“better” or more “natural” than others.
Related to morality
Extremely difficult to avoid
What culture provides an “ideal” quality of
life?
RIGHT
WRONG
Objectives:
Understand the stages of moral
development as outlined by Kohlberg
Identify the limits to applying Kohlberg’s
theory to other cultures
HEINZ Dilemma
 Heinz’s wife is very sick.
 Her illness requires special medication.
 The medication is VERY expensive
 Heinz cannot afford the medication.
 The only way he can get the medicine is to break into the drug
store.
Should Heinz break into the drug store???
Kohlberg’s Moral Development
Stage 1
Obedience & Punishment
LEVEL ONE: Pre-Conventional
Stage 1
Obedience & Punishment
How can I avoid punishment?
“If he would get caught he
should not steal the drug, but
if he would not get caught I
guess it is okay.”
This person would say….
Level 1: Pre-Conventional
Stage 2
Naïve Hedonism
Satisfy own and other’s needs.
“Heinz can always pay the
druggist back, and he really
isn’t doing anything wrong. If
he wants his wife to live he
should just take it.”
This person would say…
Level II: Conventional Morality
Stage 3
Interpersonal Accord and
Conformity Driven
Majority Rules
“Heinz has no choice but to take
the drug. It is bad to steal but
he’s a good husband. If he
doesn’t save his wife, then he
didn’t really love her.”
This person would say…
Level II: Conventional
Stage 4
Social Order Driven
Do one’s duty; Respect for authority
“ It is Heinz’s duty to save her;
he cannot just let her die. But
stealing is against the law and
he must pay the druggist
back or go to jail.”
This person would say….
Level 3: Post-Conventional
Stage 5
Social Contract
Driven
There are exceptions to the law
“Obviously he is breaking the law
if he takes the drug but it can be
seen as reasonable if you
consider his attempt to reason
with the druggist and look at the
big picture.”
This person would say…
Level 3: Conventional Morality
Stage 6
Universal Ethical Principals
Moral reasoning and inner
conscience
“It is morally right to save a life
and that makes it okay to steal
the drug even if he is breaking
the law.”
This person would say…
Example: Fang, et.al 2003 study:
“Social Moral Reasoning in Chinese Children.”
Level One: “a girl/boy must not tell a lie.”
“a child can not cheat people.”
Level Two: “because a girl should be
honest, otherwise she will be useless
when she grows up.”
Level Three: “honesty is a basic moral
quality of a person and should be
upheld at all times.”
Kohlberg’s Stages of Moral
Development
Most influential theory of moral
reasoning
Stage theory-based on evolutionary
perspective
 Modern clarifications: higher level for
more complex societies, remove value
judgment of “better”
Support for Kohlberg’s theory
Development of moral compass is
universal
No stage regressions
No stage skipping
But does it capture ethical concepts of
other cultures? Not always…
 e.g. highest good requires compromise
Objectives:
Identify the influence of cognition
(thought processes) on moral judgments
Describe the three codes of ethics and
how immorality is defined by each
Identify the influence of emotion on moral
judgments
Judging Morality
http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/en/rebecca_saxe_ho
w_brains_make_moral_judgments.html
Morality & Cognition
 Changes come about when children can
discuss others’ points of view - focus moves
from self to others
 From egocentric to having a theory of mind
Blame & Moral Reasoning
1. Discussion: How does the concept of blame
affect our moral reasoning? Discuss
examples from the video “Mad or Bad” and
determine the justifications used for who was
to be blamed for their behavior.
Three Codes of Ethics
I. Ethic of Autonomy= morality in terms of individual
freedom and rights violation.
II. Ethic of Community= Duty to conform with role in
community or social hierarchy. Failure to live up to
one’s role.
III. Ethic of Divinity= morality shaped by sanctity and
perceived “natural order” of things. Strong
emphasis on role of religion and “sacred world.”
What is immoral?
Immoral behaviors harming:
individual
close others
Divinity
Which is considered most serious across
cultures?
Culture & Moral Reasoning
1. Discussion: How do emotions affect our
perceptions of ethical violations? How does
that affect the justice system?
Culture & Moral Reasoning
Role of Emotions: Emotional processing
necessary for moral cognition
 e.g. antisocial personality disorder
Agency & Control: Degree to which culture
defines “control” and expectations.
Moral Violations
1. Intuitive sense something is wrong
2. strong negative emotional reaction
3. reason to justify our strong feeling
 You do something that harms your family (shame = self)
 Someone edges in and cuts ahead of you in a long line
(anger = autonomy)
 You hear that a friend decides not to attend his mother’s
funeral (contempt = community)
 You hear about a 70 yr old man having sex with a 17 yr old girl
(disgust = divinity)
Moral Obligation
belief that the act should be done
regardless of the law (by all people
everywhere) –and –
should be regulated and people should
be punished if they do not do it
Ethic of community seen as a moral
obligation by Indians but not Americans
Objectives:
Understand the 10 major categories of
values endorsed by cultures worldwide
Identify values that are incompatible or
difficult to prioritize simultaneously
Describe how a culture’s prioritizing of
values influences their conceptions of
morality and justice
Values – Endorsing and Opposition
 Power: Social status and prestige, control or dominance over
people and resources (authority, social power, wealth,
preserving my public image)
 Achievement: Personal success through demonstrating
competence according to social standards (ambitious,
successful, capable, influential)
 Hedonism: Pleasure or sensuous gratification for oneself
(pleasure, enjoying life, self-indulgent)
 Stimulation: Excitement, novelty, and challenge in life (daring,
a varied life, an exciting life)
 Self-direction: Independent thought and action—choosing,
creating, exploring (creativity, freedom, independent,
choosing own goals, curious)
Values – Endorsing and Opposition
 Universalism: Understanding, appreciation, tolerance, and protection
for the welfare of all people and for nature (equality, social justice,
wisdom, broadminded, protecting the environment, unity with nature,
a world of beauty)
 Benevolence: Preservation and enhancement of the welfare of
people with whom one is in frequent personal contact (helpful,
honest, forgiving, loyal, responsible)
 Tradition: Respect, commitment, and acceptance of the customs
and ideas that traditional culture or religion provide (devout, respect
for tradition, humble, moderate)
 Conformity: Restraint of actions, inclinations, and impulses likely to
upset or harm others and violate social expectations or norms (selfdiscipline, politeness, honoring parents and elders, obedience)
 Security: Safety, harmony, and stability of society, of relationships, and
of self (family security, national security, social order, clean,
reciprocation of favors)
Values – Endorsing and Opposition
 Values
Power
(social status)
Achievement
(personal success)
Self-direction
(own path)
Hedonism
(pleasure)
Universalism
(welfare of all)
Benevolence (good
to close others)
Security (stability &
order)
Stimulation
(excitement)
Tradition
(acceptance of
customs)
Conformity (selfdiscipline)
National Values
Iran
Shi’a Islamic Theocracy (Imams also
have social and political power)
Values: Justice of God, duty to God,
forbidding what is wrong, dissociate with
enemies of God
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hX
C4uHxbpCU -4:32
http://religion.blogs.cnn.com/2010/08/2
3/muslim-women-who-wear-the-hijaband-niqab-explain-their-choice/
National Values
France
Liberty: being able to do anything that
does not harm others
Equality: must be the same for all,
whether it protects or punishes
Fraternity: brotherhood, community
National Values
National strategies – integration
(participate in new but keep ties to orig.
culture) vs. assimilation (new culture only)
Discussion: What are the positive and
negative consequences of a country
adopting an integration policy or an
assimilation policy?
National Values
France – 2003 assimilation policy – goal of
combating culturally distinct communities
Integration contract on arrival
Learn French & French values
Residence permit & citizenship
dependent on assessment of
assimilation
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JoK
OVjIM2_Q :30-5:08
Values & Justice
police duties
prison sentences
drug control strategies
Culture & Distributive Justice
Principle of Need: Those who need the
resources the most, get them.
Principal of Equity: Resources should be
shared equally.
Seniority System: Factors such as time and
age are rewarded.
Summary
•Perception of “fair” and “just” varies widely
•Role of moral viewpoint and ways to distribute
resources are dependent upon culture
•“Feelings” are often what cue us to a moral violation