Problem:
Lawrence Kohlberg theorized that there are 6 stages of moral development through which a person may pass as he or she develops from infancy to adulthood. Kohlberg was interested in the way that people arrived at their moral judgment when faced with social dilemmas.
In this question, you will assume that a small catering company has run into cash flow problems. The owner can lay off half of his employees and retain the other half with full benefits, or he can keep everyone but cancel all health insurance benefits. He knows each of these employees personally, and they have helped him develop the business.
For this question, you will need to address the following three parts:
Give an overview of Kohlberg's six stages of moral development.
Address what the catering company owner would do in each of the six stages. In other words, how would his actions change in each stage of development?
If you were the owner, what choice would you make? Justify it using the ethical theories you have studied in this class.