Question

A lifeguard in Florida was fired for leaving his assigned zone because he opted to help a drowning man even though his supervisor had ordered him not to leave his zone and to call 911 for help instead. The actions of the lifeguard were motivated by his internal values. In the given scenario, the lifeguard is at the _____ of moral development. a. postconventional level b. self-interest level c. preconventional level d. conventional level

Answer 1

A. postconventional level

Step-by-step explanation:

In the postconventional stage of morality (the final stage of moral development), the person has found, by own experience and judgement, a series of abstract, general, moral principles, that he or she applies whether they coincide with social conventions or not.

In the case of the lifeguard, the social convention is to respect the orders of his boss, and only do what he is allowed to do in his job. However, in his individual, abstract reasoning, saving a person's life is more important than keeping his job, therefore, he decides to disobey his boss, save the man's life, and assume the consequences.