Due to the amount of gun violence, gun control is a controversial topic throughout the world. In today’s world, mass shootings and other types of gun violence are seen on a daily basis, leaving several individuals to question why private ownership of guns is still tolerated by governments. The following discusses different aspects of gun control and analyzes them through the three main stages of Kohlberg’s Theory of Moral Development.
Kohlberg’s Theory of Moral Development
Pre-conventional Morality
Pre-conventional morality is the first stage in moral development. At this stage, rules are seen as absolute and they must be avoided in order to avoid punishment (Cherry, 2016). While the United States has the highest rates of gun ownership in the world, Switzerland is fourth when it comes to gun ownership. However, Switzerland also has one of the lowest rates of violence. It has been suggested the reason for the high gun rate, coupled with the low gun violence rate, is due to the emphasis Switzerland places on their gun laws. From a young age, children in Switzerland are taught right and wrong when it comes to guns. They are also taught to shoot and adequate gun safety. In other words, guns are considered a way of life throughout the small country of Switzerland (Nelson, 2013). Someone in the pre-conventional morality stage of moral development would state that the rules on gun violence are absolute, and in order to avoid legal punishment, the laws against gun violence must be obeyed in order to avoid punishment. Individuals throughout Switzerland are taught this from a young age, and thus, obey gun laws in order to avoid legal punishment. In other words, it could be said that gun owners throughout Switzerland maintained this stage of morality when it comes to gun control and gun violence.
Use your promo and get a custom paper on
"Gun Control".
Conventional Morality
Conventional morality is seen as the stage of interpersonal relationships and is focused on social roles and expectation. This stage is focused on conformity and how relationships are influenced by individual choices (Cherry, 2016). Throughout the United States, mass shootings are now common in the workplace, churches, and schools. With the amount of children who are dying from school shootings, several people throughout the country wonder why legislation still allows private ownership of guns. However, gun ownership is still allowed throughout the country (Elliott, 2016). Someone in the conventional morality stage of moral development would believe that gun ownership should be allowed because the majority of people will not commit mass shootings due to social roles and expectations. In other words, the majority of people will not go around shooting the masses because of how they would be viewed in society and the affect it would have on their own personal relationships.
Post-conventional Morality
Post-conventional morality consist of the idea that individual rights cause people to have differing opinions, values and beliefs regarding other people. “At this stage, people follow these internalized principles of justice, even if they conflict with laws and rules” (Cherry, 2016). When it comes to gun control in throughout the United States, many states have banned different types of guns. However, several individuals have been opposed to these gun bans. The National Rifle Association (NRA) is a lobbying group that consists of roughly four million members. These individuals oppose gun control legislation and believe that anticrime measures are needed in order to control gun violence throughout the country. An individual in the post-conventional morality stage of moral development would agree with this statement, saying it is the differing opinions throughout society that causes gun violence, not the guns themselves (Funk & Wagnalls New World Encyclopedia, 2016).
- Cherry, K. (2016). Kohlberg’s theory of moral development. Retrieved from https://www.verywell.com/
- Elliott, P. (2016). The new politics of gun control. Time, 188(10).
- Funk & Wagnalls New World Encyclopedia (2016). Gun Control. Funk & Wagnalls New WorldEncyclopedia.
- Nelson, S. (2013). What’s worked, and what hasn’t, in gun-loving Switzerland. All Things Considered (NPR).
