You scratch my back and I'll scratch yours?
Are most of us in the early stages of moral development?
Lawrence Kohlberg was a prominent psychologist of the 20th Century who believed in 6 stages of moral development.
The first stage consisted of following rules due to fear of punishment. The second stage is the ever notorious "Scratch my back, and I'll scratch yours".
Why is it so valuable to make sure your needs and wants are met? The scratching back concept might be relevant to one of the main reasons of prolonging human existence.
Think about it. If I am satisfied, and you are satisfied, we are more likely to produce offspring.There are of course other factors that determine the fate of our human existence.
Time magazine had an issue on "The Science of Romance" from the week of January 28th of this year. Science has proved that there are many factors of our genetic makeup that has been altered through time, a process called evolution. Through evolution, humans who have obtained desirable characteristics were more likely to have the forbidden fruit of their loins shared.
"Men see ample breasts and broad hips as indicators of a women's ability to bear and nurse children- though most don't think about such matters so lucidly. Women see a broad chest and shoulders as a sign of someone who can clobber a stead supply of meat and keep lions away from the cave. And while a hairy chest and full beard have fallen out of favor
in the waxed and buffed 21st century, they are historically- if unconsciously- seen as signs of healthy testosterone flow that gives rise to both fertility and strength, A deep voice, also testosterone driven, can have similarly seductive power. Psychology professor David Feinberg of McMaster University in Ontario studied Tanzania's Hadza tribesman, one of the world's last hunter-gatherer communities, and found that the richer and lower a man's voice, the more children he had. "
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People's most basic instinct is to survive, and survive comfortably, thus it is logical that people would do what it takes to have their needs met. On a side note, I'd be interested to hear what the other four levels of moral developement are.
The six stages are grouped into 2's. The base is Pre-conventional, the middle 2 are Conventional and the highest is post-conventional.
1. Obedience and punishment orientation: A child believes it is wrong to steal because you will be punished.
2. Self-interest orientation: This is the back-scratch one. A child believes it is alright to steal because he would not get what he wants otherwise.
3. Interpersonal accord and conformity: A teen believes that he should not steal, because stealing would make him a criminal in the eyes of his family, his peers and society.
4. Authority and social-order maintaining orientation: A man says its wrong to steal, even for survival, because it is against the law.
5. Social contract orientation: A man is right to steal for survival because everyone has the right to protect his own life.
6. Universal ethical principles: A man is right to steal for survival because human life is more precious than material goods.
Of course, there's more to it than that, but I thought I'd provide a quick sum-up for you.
~~Every human heartbeat is a universe of possibilites.~~
Gregory David Roberts
Think about it. If I am satisfied, and you are satisfied, we are more likely to produce offspring.There are of course other factors that determine the fate of our human existence.
You bring up a good point. I mean if both people are happy then why not? Why wouldn't they want to if there is nothing wrong?
+mspin
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