Introduction

Lawrence Kohlberg’s stages of moral development, a comprehensive stage theory of moral

development based on Jean Piaget’s theory of moral judgment for children and developed by
Lawrence Kohlberg in 1958. Cognitive in nature, Kohlberg’s theory focuses on the thinking
process that occurs when one decides whether a behaviour is right or wrong. Thus, the
theoretical emphasis is on how one decides to respond to a moral dilemma, not what one decides
or what one actually does (Piaget, 1932).

According to Piaget (1932) Kohlberg's theory proposes that there are three levels of moral
development, with each level split into two stages. Kohlberg suggested that people move through
these stages in a fixed order, and that moral understanding is linked to cognitive development.
The three levels of moral reasoning include preconventional, conventional, and post
conventional.

Preconventional morality

Preconventional morality is the first stage of moral development, and lasts until approximately
age 9. At the preconventional level children don’t have a personal code of morality, and instead
moral decisions are shaped by the standards of adults and the consequences of following or
breaking their rules. For example, if an action leads to punishment is must be bad, and if it leads
to a reward is must be good. Authority is outside the individual and children often make moral
decisions based on the physical consequences of actions (Kohlberg, 1971).

Stage 1: Punishment/obedience orientation: Behavior is determined by consequences. The

individual will obey in order to avoid punishment. The first stage highlights the self-interest of
children in their decision making as they seek to avoid punishment at all costs. In relation to our
example above, the man should not steal the medication from the pharmacy as he may go to jail
if he is caught (Parke, 2010).

Stage 2: Instrumental purpose orientation: Behavior is determined again by consequences. The

individual focuses on receiving rewards or satisfying personal needs.

This stage observes how children begin to adopt the views taught, but also recognize that there is
more than one point of view for each matter. Each person is different and will, therefore, have a
unique outlook according to their interests. In terms of our example above, they may reason that
“he may think that it is right to take the drug, but the pharmacist would not.”

The second stage relies heavily on the exchange of favors and can be summarized with the
common marketing saying “what’s it in for me?” Children at this stage are not motivated by
friendship or respect but by the personal advantages involved. For example, if a parent asks their
child to complete a chore around the house, the child may ask what the benefit would be to them
(Parke, 2010).

Conventional morality

Conventional morality is the second stage of moral development, and is characterized by an

acceptance of social rules concerning right and wrong. At the conventional level (most
adolescents and adults), we begin to internalize the moral standards of valued adult role models
(Kohlberg, 1971).

Stage 3: Good interpersonal Relationships: Behavior is determined by social approval. The

individual wants to maintain or win the affection and approval of others by being a “good
person.”

Children in the third stage are typically pre-teens or early teenagers and have now adopted the
societal norms as their own. While they believe that people should behave appropriately in their
communities, they recognize that there is no simple solution to moral dilemmas (Haggbloom,
2002).

Stage 4: Law and order orientation: Social rules and laws determine behavior. The individual
now takes into consideration a larger perspective, that of societal laws. Moral decision making
becomes more than consideration of close ties to others. The individual believes that rules and
laws maintain social order that is worth preserving. In this stage, laws and social order reign
supreme. Rules and regulations are to be followed and obeyed. In the above example, the man
should not steal the medicine because it is against the law. Stage four shows the moral
development of a person as a part of a whole society (Haggbloom, 2002).

Post conventional morality

Is the third stage of moral development, and is characterized by an individuals’ understanding of
universal ethical principles. These are abstract and ill-defined, but might include: the
preservation of life at all costs, and the importance of human dignity (Kohlberg, 1971). At the
postconventional level, the individual moves beyond the perspective of his or her own society.
Morality is defined in terms of abstract principles and values that apply to all situations and
societies. The individual attempts to take the perspective of all individuals.

Stage 5: Social contract orientation: Individual rights determine behaviour. The individual views
laws and rules as flexible tools for improving human purposes. That is, given the right situation,
there are exceptions to rules. When laws are not consistent with individual rights and the
interests of the majority, they do not bring about good for people and alternatives should be
considered (Parke, 2010).

Stage 6: Universal ethical principle orientation

According to Kohlberg, this is the highest stage of functioning. However, he claimed that some
individuals will never reach this level. At this stage, the appropriate action is determined by
one’s self-chosen ethical principles of conscience. These principles are abstract and universal in
application. This type of reasoning involves taking the perspective of every person or group that
could potentially be affected by the decision (Haggbloom, 2002).

Summary

In the first stage, children obey the rules taught and believe what society says is right. Avoiding
punishment is a leading factor in their desire to obey authority. This has diminished by stage two,
where children can see that they are multiple points of view to the matter in question. They tend
to reason according their own self-interests, including bartering with others.

In stage three, people value a supportive community and therefore have the desire to be a good,
helpful member. This changes as they move into stage four, where they seek instead to meet the
goals of the society, which includes maintaining law and order. Throughout both stages, we see
how young teens value the morals and ethics of the group of which they are part.

In stage five, people evolve from the idea of being ‘good’ into what would be the right thing to
do. They seek to create morals and values for a good society instead of maintaining the society
for the sake of doing so. They take these ideas one step further in stage six, where they work to
incorporate justice and creating a fair society for all.

References

Haggbloom, S, J. (2002). "The 100 Most Eminent Psychologists of the 20th Century". Review of
General Psychology. 6 (2): 139–15

Kohlberg, L. (1971). The Adolescent as a Philosopher: The Discovery of the Self in a

Postconventional World. Daedalus.

Parke, R. D. (2010). Child psychology: a contemporary viewpoint (3rd Canadian ed.). Whitby,
ON: McGraw-Hill Ryerson.

Piaget, J. (1932). The Moral Judgment of the Child. London: Kegan Paul, Trench, Trubner and
Co. ISBN 978-0-02-925240-6.