Theos-Talk Archives (March 1995 Message tl00246)

The Three Levels of Moral Development.

Jesus' charge to us that we should not resist evil makes little
sense until we arrive at the third level of moral development.
Although I have already discussed this before, I hope readers
will bear with me once again, and I will try to tie up some loose
ends and put it all together.  I will connect the three levels
and seven stages of moral development given by Lawrence Kohlberg,
the psychological pioneer of modern moral development theory,
with the three stages or levels of moral development according to
occultism.

Level 1.  Development of Morals and Ethics.  This level is
absolutely critical, and must be gone through in order for any
lasting degree of spiritual progress.  We simply must develope a
moral sense, and a system of ethics and ethical behaviors.
Virtually all religions agree to this.  Level 1 is Kohlberg's
Preconventional Level.  It has two stages.  The first stage is
punishment and obedience, where rules are followed in order to
avoid punishment.  At this stage we do good in order to get into
heaven after we die, or in order to obtain merit or good karma.
Please take note: doing good to others in order to obtain good
karma is the very first stage of moral development.  In the
second stage, "right" is defined in terms of satisfying one's own
needs or attaining rewards.  In the second stage, we will help
others only in return for some favor or reward.  Although
occultism recognizes the importance of this level, it stresses
the need to go on to Level 2.

Level 2.  Development of Compassion.  After some degree of moral
development has been attained we must start developing compassion
and concern for others.  This is Kohlberg's Conventional Level.
In this level laws take precedence over the needs of individuals.
It has two stages.  In stage three, we do whatever pleases our
friends in order to obtain their approval.  In stage four "right"
is seen as doing one's duty and we have the desire to show
respect for authority.  In level 2, we recognize others, and we
begin to adapt our needs to those of other people.  Occultism
stresses the need for this level, because compassion and
selflessness are absolutely essential to further progress on the
Path without going down the slippery road to Black Magic.  Black
Magic, by most definitions, comes about when we develop
psychically without a corresponding moral development.  The
Tibetans use the technique of Tonglen' to develop compassion (see
THE TIBETAN BOOK OF LIVING AND DYING for an excellent description
of Tonglen).

Level 3.  Letting Go of Right and Wrong.  After developing morals
and compassion, we are now in the position of letting our sense
of right and wrong simply drop away.  We must do this in order to
act spontaneously.  In this level, our spontaneous actions are
always the "right" thing to do in any situation, because we have
already gone through the first two levels.  This is Kohlberg's
Postconventional Level.  Kohlberg gives three stages for this
level.  In stage five laws are seen to be beneficial to society
and if they are unfair, they can be changed.  In stage six
"right" is seen according to self-chosen abstract ethical
principles like the Golden Rule rather than specific ones like
the ten commandments.  In level seven "right" is defined in terms
of cosmic unity.  In this level we are letting go of specific
laws or rules of conduct, and instead are adopting general ones.
For example, if we really love people, then when a specific
situation arises we will automatically do the "right" thing.  The
right thing for one instance may be wrong in another instance.
So, in this level we develop what has been called situation
ethics, which eventually leads to what can be called amorality in
the sense that our actions are beyond any specific moral sense of
mandatory rules and regulations.  Love is seen to be a higher
calling than man-made laws, for example.

Psychological note.  Kohlberg generated his scale and his
findings using males.  Carol Gilligan has argued that women
differ somewhat from men in their attitudes.  For example, most
16-year-old boys score at stage 4 on Kohlbergs's scale, while
most 16-year-old girls score at stage 3.  Gilligan argues that
girls care more about social responsibilities while boys care
more about individual rights, and therefore girls are not really
less moral than boys.  Most psychologists today agree with
Gilligan.  So, while there is room to fudge a bit, the overall
structure of moral development given by Kohlberg and occultism is
a reasonably fixed one for most of us.

TS note.  The TSs agree with the importance of Levels 1 and 2.
All TSs emphasize the development of morals and compassion.  An
abundance of literature tells us to work on our karma and to make
a better future life for ourselves (Stage 1 of Level 1).  All TSs
emphasize the need for compassion, though seldom telling us why,
other than pointing out that progress without compassion leads us
down the road to the Black Brotherhood.  There are other reasons;
the main one having to do with crossing the Abyss, which none of
the TSs want to go into.  No TS, that I am aware of, emphasizes
or even recognizes Level 3.  Why? Probably because of the danger
involved - Level 3 only works if you have already successfully
passed through the first two levels.  In the old days, one would
work under a guru or Teacher who would make the determination
that one was ready for Level 3.  Nowdays most of us must work for
ourselves, or with books for guidance.  When we say to ourselves
"OK, I have developed a moral sense of right and wrong and I have
compassion and concern for others, so now I am ready to drop what
is right and wrong and to act spontaneously" how will we ever
know if our ego is conning us or if we are really ready? I know
of no easy answer to that one.  Perhaps advancement to Level 3
should occur naturally and unconsciously?

General Comment.  Wherever we individually are on the moral scale
of development, it is important as theosophists to be aware of
all three levels.  There is nothing wrong, per se, with doing
good deeds in order to improve our karma and to get a better
future life.  But we should be aware that such motives place us
at the first level of development, and that eventually we may
want to broaden our motives to include others.  At some point in
our development we should be aware of the need to recognize that
good and evil may be two sides of the same coin.  After years,
and even lifetimes, of grasping for the good and of resisting
evil, we may recognize that we are, in effect, like a dog chasing
after its own tail and that perhaps there is a better way.  At
that point, the thought may come to us that if we stop trying to
be good and stop trying to avoid evil, and that if we just let
both of them go from our thinking, we may be a lot better off.
If we then carry this out, effortlessly, we just may find
ourselves somewhere in Level 3.  It is probably unnecessary for
me to point out here that every true Adept has reached Level 3,
but that reaching Level 3 does NOT automatically make one an
Adept.

          Jerry S.