Understanding Moral Maturity and Responsibility in Society
Moral Maturity: From Heteronomy to Autonomy
Kohlberg’s theory is based on the Kantian idea that moral maturity is a process that begins with moral heteronomy and ends with moral autonomy. It distinguishes three levels:
- Preconventional Level: The person acts solely to satisfy their interests; rules are respected only based on the consequences of violating them. These individuals are often driven by impulses.
- Conventional Level: A person is considered fair if they adhere to the laws of their society. These individuals are still quite heteronomous, as they control their selfish impulses only to adapt to societal rules.
- Postconventional Level: Individuals distinguish between societal rules and universal moral principles. They are self-governing, and their behavior is guided by principles recognized by their own conscience as universally binding. Reason is defined as a reasonable and thoughtful decision. The morally mature person also progresses in the values of care, which means developing a sense of compassion and responsibility.
What Does Being Responsible Mean?
The word responsibility comes from Latin and refers to justifying an action that has been taken. In the eighteenth century, the concept of responsibility was used to justify that when someone causes harm to another, they must repair the damage or provide an equivalent set by law and the judge. We can speak of moral responsibility, which differs from legal responsibility because it is a subjective phenomenon of moral conscience. This means that it is the acting subject who feels responsible for their actions. To be morally responsible for an action means:
- That the action was performed freely.
- That the actor is able to respond to the action taken.
- To take the consequences of their actions.
Responsibility in the World Today
Throughout the twentieth century, a new kind of awareness has emerged, leading us to face problems that cannot be solved by a few countries alone but require cooperation and shared responsibility.
- Principle of Liability: We believed that progress meant exploiting land resources to satisfy our desires, but in doing so, we are destroying our environment. Therefore, we must change our idea of progress to take responsibility for the consequences of our actions, ensuring that we leave future generations a world as habitable as we found it.
- Responsible Citizens: A true citizen does not limit themselves to demanding their rights but also participates actively and responsibly in matters that affect us all. The ideal we aspire to is the cosmopolitan citizen: someone who, from their specific life conditions, engages with the problems of humanity.
- Professional Responsibility: Responsibility has gained prominence in recent times within professional practice. This has led to the emergence of ethical professionals who study the needs and moral values specific to each professional activity, aiming to identify the internal goods of every profession.