Kohlberg's Stages of Moral Development in Thank You for Smoking (2005) - Essay Example

? Kohlberg's Stages of Moral Development in Thank You for Smoking (2005) number 25 March Kohlberg’s Stages of Moral Development in Thank You for Smoking (2005) Kohlberg’s Stages of Moral Development is a useful framework in understanding the spectrum of morality in Sacks and Reitman’s (2005) film, Thank You for Smoking. This paper uses Kohlberg’s stages to understand how people judge what is wrong and what is right in their own actions and the actions of others, which can differ sometimes. Some of the characters in the film swing across these moral stages, depending on their changing goals and target audiences. Characters in “Stage 1: Obedience and Punishment” display morality that comes from following authority (Crain, 1985). Nick Naylor (Aaron Eckhart) shows Stage 1 morality because he is initially focused on what his boss and company think is right. Instead of following the government or traditional social norms, Naylor follows the goals and norms of his company and boss. Naylor’s boss BR (J.K. Simmons) seeks for ideas on making smoking a more lucrative business. He tells Naylor: “We don't sell Tic Tacs, we sell cigarettes. And they’re cool, available, and addictive” (Sacks & Reitman, 2005). Naylor responds with a recommendation of product placement in the movies. He is responding to the pressure of doing what is right, based on what his company demands from him. Furthermore, Naylor displays loyalty to his boss, even when the latter does something wrong. BR steals Naylor’s idea of product placement in the movies and presents it to Captain (Robert Duvall) as his own. Naylor does not correct Captain anymore for fear of reprisal. Morality, in this stage, is “external” to the people, and not something they feel they must be personally responsible for, so they follow their bosses as the basis of their morality (Crain, 1985). Aside from Stage 1, characters in Thank You for Smoking exhibit morality in “Stage 2: Individualism and Exchange,” when they focus on the relativity of morals and the importance of making compromises to gain something. Naylor shifts to Stage 2, when he explains to his son that being right heavily relies on one’s argumentation skills. He tells his son: “That’s the beauty of argument, if you argue correctly, you're never wrong.” Morality is relative to the person doing the argumentation and his/her persuasiveness. Furthermore, flexible morality is another indicator of an individualistic approach to morality. Naylor admits to his son that to be in his job, he must have “flexible morals” (Sacks & Reitman, 2005). Flexible morals allow him to stay unaffected of the negative views on tobacco smoking. Jeff Megall (Rob Lowe) is another example of someone who manifests Stage 2 because he is not concerned of maintaining the social order or universal principles. Megall emphasizes that individuals have different opinions, so he calls himself a “facilitator” because “people decide for themselves” (Sacks & Reitman, 2005). He believes in the individual differences of morality and does not judge them. Heather Holloway (Katie Holmes) illustrates Stage 1 morality too because she exchanges something to gain another. She enters into a sexual affair with Naylor, so that she can access and expose his secrets as a reporter (Sacks & Reitman, 2005). These are examples of people, who believe in individualistic views of morality, as well as the flexibility needed to undergo social transactions for the purposes of personal gain. The next stage is “Stage 3: Good Interpersonal Relationships,” and characters show this level of morality, when they do what is good based on what their family and community value as good behaviors (Crain, 1985). Naylor wants to be a better father to his son. In order to do this, he thinks that it is right to spend more time with him. Joey’s mother and stepfather are alarmed of what he is learning and inhaling from his father, but Naylor does not care, because he simply wants to have more quality time with Joey (Sacks & Reitman, 2005). Naylor feels that he is right because he is thinking of the interest of his son and the quality of their relationship. Aside from Naylor, Joey also has Stage 3 morality. When everything goes south for his father because Holloway reveals all of Naylor’s secrets, Joey persuades his father to continue with his job because he is good at it and he believes in him as his father (Sacks & Reitman, 2005). Joey does not see the immorality of his father’s behaviors, but accepts him for who he is, including his flaws. These characters focus on morality that is justified through the promotion of interpersonal relations. The subsequent stage of morality is “Stage 4: Maintaining the Social Order,” where people believe that what is right depends on what is good for society as a whole, and where people follow the laws for the good of society (Crain, 1985). Megall shows Stage 4 level of morality, when he refuses to place smoking in everyday settings because of smoking’s health issues. He is concerned of what many people think of good product placement, so he is careful in placing cigarettes in his movies. Megall might not be exactly socially responsible all the time, but he wants to respond to social demands and concerns too. Another character who seeks to maintain social order is Senator Ortolan Finisterre (William H. Macy). He believes that he promotes social welfare, when he lobbies for the putting of skull-and-crossbones image on all tobacco products, to remind the public of the negative health effects of smoking (Sacks & Reitman, 2005). Senator Finisterre performs his duty of looking after the public interest through this advocacy. These characters want to follow laws and duties, so they characterize Stage 4 level of morality. After considering social order, the next stage of morality is “Stage 5: Social Contract and Individual Rights,” where characters believe that a good society is one where people agree on a social contract, despite their individual differences (Crain, 1985). Senator Finisterre is in Stage 5, when he wants to enforce the social contract. During the meeting of Senator Finisterre's committee, he allows all groups to express their concerns (Sacks & Reitman, 2005). He believes in the democratic process, where people are allowed to express and to promote their interests. Naylor also respects the social contract when he reveals what he will do, when his son asks for a cigarette, after reaching the age of18 years old. He gives his son the right to do what he wants: “If he really wants a cigarette. I'll buy him his first pack” (Sacks & Reitman, 2005). Democracy is about letting people access their rights and being responsible for the consequences of their actions. Stage 5 believes in morality, according to democracy. The last stage is “Stage 6: Universal Principles,” where characters do what is right based on the principles of justice that apply to all. Naylor can be argued as showing Stage 6, when he realizes that if Senator Finisterre is going to attack the health issues of cigarettes, it is only just to attack the health downsides of cheese, Senator Finisterre’s state’s main business product. Naylor asserts that “the real demonstrated #1 killer in America is cholesterol. And here comes Senator Finistirre whose fine state is, I regret to say, clogging the nation's arteries with Vermont Cheddar Cheese,” and he continues, “If we want to talk numbers, how about the millions of people dying of heart attacks? Perhaps Vermont Cheddar should come with a skull and crossbones” (Sacks & Reitman, 2005). Universal principles of justice must be equally applied to all, including those that contribute to health problems. Equality in the application of principles of justice promotes justice too. Thank You for Smoking demonstrates that people change across moral stages, depending on their goals and audiences. They can also judge their actions differently, when compared to judging others. Most characters act in Stage 2 because of their individualistic approach to morality that serve personal interests, but others manage to attain Stage 6 morality, when they appeal to the universal sense of justice for all. References Crain, W.C. (1985). Chapter seven: Kohlberg's stages of moral development. Theories of development (pp. 118-136). New York: Prentice-Hall. Retrieved from http://faculty.plts.edu/gpence/html/kohlberg.htm Sacks, O. (Producer), & Reitman, J. (Director). (2005). Thank you for smoking. [Motion picture]. United States: Room 9 Entertainment. Read More