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Stages of Moral Development

Kohlberg's stages of moral development theory proposes that people progress through six distinct stages of moral reasoning as they develop. The stages are grouped into three levels: pre-conventional, conventional, and post-conventional. At the pre-conventional level, morality is based on obedience and self-interest. At the conventional level, maintaining social norms and relationships is important. The post-conventional level prioritizes universal ethical principles over rules or laws. Kohlberg used moral dilemmas to study how people at different developmental stages justify their ethical decisions. While influential, his theory has been criticized for oversimplifying moral reasoning.

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67 views

Stages of Moral Development

Kohlberg's stages of moral development theory proposes that people progress through six distinct stages of moral reasoning as they develop. The stages are grouped into three levels: pre-conventional, conventional, and post-conventional. At the pre-conventional level, morality is based on obedience and self-interest. At the conventional level, maintaining social norms and relationships is important. The post-conventional level prioritizes universal ethical principles over rules or laws. Kohlberg used moral dilemmas to study how people at different developmental stages justify their ethical decisions. While influential, his theory has been criticized for oversimplifying moral reasoning.

Uploaded by

Jov Apris
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© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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The Moral Agent: Developing Virtue as Habit

Development of the Moral Character

Watch your thoughts for they become words. Watch your words for they become actions. Watch your
actions for they become…habits. Watch your habits, for they become your character. And watch your
character, for it becomes your destiny!” - Margaret Thatcher

 Acts build character while character directs acts. Individual acts emanate from moral character while
moral character is formed by individual acts. There is then a circularity of relationship between
individual acts and moral character.

Stages of Moral Development

 KOHLBERG'S STAGES OF MORAL DEVELOPMENT

 Lawrence Kohlberg (1927-1987) was a moral philosopher and student of child development. He
was director of Harvard's Center for Moral Education. His special area of interest is the moral
development of children - how they develop a sense of right, wrong, and justice.
 He was born into a wealthy family in New York in 1927.
 Kohlberg began studying psychology as an undergraduate at the University of Chicago. In one
year, he had earned his B.A. in psychology and continued his education as a graduate student at
the University of Chicago. In 1958, Kohlberg earned his Ph.D.
 He studied moral reasoning & development with much of his work based on that of Jean Piaget
and John Dewey. He had a brief teaching position at Yale University before moving onto Harvard
in 1967.
 Kohlberg believed...and was able to demonstrate through studies...that people progressed in
their moral reasoning (i.e., in their bases for ethical behavior) through a series of stages. He
believed that there were six identifiable stages which could be more generally classified into
three levels.
 He based his theory upon research and interviews with groups of young children. A series of
moral dilemmas were presented to these participants and they were also interviewed to
determine the reasoning behind their judgments of each scenario.
I. PRE-CONVENTIONAL MORALITY
 age 4 - 10
 a person is motivated by obedience to authority
 commonly associated with young children
 involves little thought about morality
 moral code is shaped by the standards of adults and the consequences of following or
breaking their rules.
A. Stage 1 - Obedience & Punishment
 earliest stage of moral development
 common in young children
 children see rules as fixed and absolute
 Obeying the rules is important to avoid punishment
 morality is motivated solely by punishment
 Example: “I will keep quiet so that teacher won’t get mad at me.”
B. Stage 2 - Individualism & Exchange
 children account individual points of view
 judge actions based on how they serve individual needs
 Reciprocity is possible but only if it serves one's own interests
 children recognize that there is not just one right view and that different
individuals have different viewpoints
 focuses on individualism and different perspectives
 the goal is to avoid punishment
 Example: “I will let you copy mine if you do my homework.”

II. CONVENTIONAL MORALITY


 age 10 - 13
 people focus on following social norms and customs
 begin to internalize the moral standards of valued adult role models
 Reasoning is based on the norms of the group to which the person belongs.

C. Stage 3 - Interpersonal Relationships


 also known as "good boy-good girl" orientation
 focused on living up to social expectations and roles
 emphasis on conformity, being "nice,"
 consider how choices influence relationships
 emphasizes the maintenance happy interpersonal relationships and pleasing
others
 a need to avoid rejection, disaffection, or disapproval from others
 Example: “I will buy that dress so that my friends will like me.”
D. Stage 4 - Maintaining Social Order
 consider society as a whole when making judgments
 focus is on maintaining law and order by following the rules, doing one’s duty
and respecting authority
 please individuals to maintaining social order by following social norms,
customs, and laws
 becomes aware of the wider rules of society to avoid guilt
 a need to not be criticized by a true authority figure
 Example: “You should not cut the class because it’s against school rules.”

E. Stage 5 - Social Contract & Individual Rights


 begin to account the differing values, opinions and beliefs of other people
 Laws are important but members of the society should agree upon these
standards.
 becomes aware there are times when they will work against rules or the
interest of particular individuals
 emphasis on the social contract and the maintenance of individual rights
 Example: “It is her own decision, we should just respect that.”

F. Stage 6 - Universal Principles


 reasoning is based on universal ethical principles and abstract reasoning
 follow these internalized principles of justice, even if its against the law
 moral judgment is motivated by one's own conscience
 People have developed their own set of moral guidelines which may or may not fit the law.
 search for universal principles
 Stage 6 individuals are rare, often value their principles more than their own life, often seen as
incarnating the highest human potential. Thus they are often martyred by those of lower stages
shamed by seeing realized human potential compared with their own partially realized levels of
development. (Stoning the prophets, killing the messenger). Examples: Mohandas Gandhi, Jesus of
Nazareth, Gautamo Buddha, Martin Luther King, Jr.
 Example: “If abortion became legal in our country, I will be one of the people who will be against it
because it’s against God’s Law.”
 One of the best known stories of Kohlberg’s (1958) concerns a man called Heinz who lived
somewhere in Europe.
 A woman was near death from cancer. One drug might save her, a form of radium that a druggist in
the same town had recently discovered. The druggist was charging $2,000.00, ten times what the
drug cost him to make. The sick woman's husband, Heinz, went to everyone he knew to borrow the
money, but he could only get together about half of what it cost. He told the druggist that his wife
was dying and asked him to sell it cheaper or let him pay later. But the druggist said "no." The
husband got desperate and broke into the man's store to steal the drug for his wife. Should the
husband have done that? .... Why do you think so?

Conclusion:
 Every person’s moral reasoning develops through the same stages in the same order.
 People pass through the same stages at different rates.
 Development is gradual and continuous, rather than sudden and discrete.
 Once a stage is attained, a person continues to reason at that stage and rarely regress to a lower
stage.
 Intervention usually results in moving only to the next higher stage of moral reasoning.

Problems with Kohlberg’s Theory:


 Does moral behavior actually match moral thoughts? People have pointed out that Kohlberg’s
scenario is hypothetical: the way people answer the question may not be how they would act in real
life.
 Are there distinct stages to moral development, or do different situations result in different types of
moral choices? Some adults may make a level three decision in one scenario, but fall back to a level
one decision in another.

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