• Both the story above and the Video about Heinz show a need

for decision making

• In the story, the person was confronted with a situation

• How to stop the girls from kissing the mirror and leaving it
with their lipstick marks?

• 1st decision: leave notices on the toilet mirror and scare

them with punishments

• 2nd decision: Talk to the students about the matter and make
arrangement with them

• 3rd decision: Talk to the students about the matter and also
show them what had been done about the marks
• In the video; Heinz was confronted with a situation

• What decision he should make to save his wife

• 1st decision: Heinz should not steal the drug because that
would mean breaking the law

• 2nd decision: steal the drug and accept any prison sentence

• 3rd decision: steal the drug but not go to prison as that

would be unfair
• Looking at these varied decisions; we can associate each with the 3
stages of Moral Development by Kohlberg

• The 1st decision: Heinz should not steal the drug because that
would mean breaking the law

• – Pre-conventional stage of Moral development

• The 2nd decision: steal the drug and accept any prison sentence

• - conventional stage of Moral development

• The 3rd decision: steal the drug but not go to prison as that would
be unfair

• – Post conventional stage of Moral development

 KOHLBERG'S SIX STAGES OF
MORAL DEVELOPMENT

Prof. Arniel Mantiza Iway, Ph.D.

Lawrence Kohlberg
 Level 1. Preconventional Morality

Stage 1. Obedience and

Punishment Orientation
Stage 2. Individualism and
Exchange
 Level 1. Preconventional Morality

❑During the preconventional level, a child’s

sense of morality is externally controlled.

❑Children accept and believe the rules of

authority figures, such as parents and
teachers, and they judge an action based
on its consequences.
Stage 1. Obedience and Punishment
Orientation.
❖ The child assumes that powerful
authorities hand down a fixed set of rules
which he or she must unquestioningly
obey.
❖ Doing the right thing is obeying authority
and avoiding punishment
Stage 1. Obedience and Punishment
Orientation
❖The View:
❖"It's against the law,"
❖"It is bad"
❖The consequence:
❖Disobedience = punishment
(Kohlberg, 1958b)
 Level 1. Preconventional Morality

•What are your views

about punishment?
Stage 2. Individualism and Exchange
❖children are no longer so impressed by any
single authority;
❖they see that there are different sides to any
issue.
❖Since everything is relative, one is free to pursue
one's own interests, although it is often useful
to make deals and exchange favors with others.
Stage 2. Individualism and Exchange
❖View:
❖Many right views
❖Many authorities
❖Different viewpoints
❖Consequence:
❖Disobedience = Wrongness = punishment

❖ Punishment must be avoided, exchange favors with others

 Level II. Conventional Morality

Stage 3. Good Interpersonal

Relationships
Stage 4. Maintaining the
Social Order
 Level II. Conventional Morality

❑ During the conventional level, an individual’s

sense of morality is tied to personal and
societal relationships.
❑ Children continue to accept the rules of
authority figures, but this is now because they
believe that this is necessary to ensure positive
relationships and societal order.
Stage 3. Good Interpersonal Relationships

❖Children at this stage are now entering

teens
❖The emphasize is now on being a good person,
which basically means having helpful motives
toward people and building relationships to
those close to one
Stage 3. Good Interpersonal Relationships
❖View:

❖There are expectations

❖Expectations are from family and community

❖Behaving in a "good" way is a must

❖Consequence:

❖Good behavior = having good motives

and interpersonal feelings such as love
 Stage 4. Maintaining the Social Order

❖the child now a teen becomes

more broadly concerned with
obeying laws to maintain
society as a whole.
Stage 4. Maintaining the Social Order
❖View:

❖I am a member of the society

❖There laws to obey

❖Laws come from authorities

❖I have duties to perform

❖Consequence:

❖performing of duty = maintain social order

Level III. Post conventional Morality

❑ During the postconventional level, a

person’s sense of morality is defined in terms
of more abstract principles and values.

❑ People now believe that some laws are unjust

and should be changed or eliminated.
Level III. Post conventional Morality

Stage 5. Social Contract and

Individual Rights
Stage 6: Universal Principles
Stage 5. Social Contract and Individual
Rights

❖At this stage, people begin to ask,

"What makes for a good society?"
❖The emphasize basic is on the rights and
the democratic processes that give
everyone a say
❖(Colby and Kohlberg, 1983, p. 22)
Stage 5. Social Contract and Individual
Rights
❖View:

❖My perspective on society matter

❖There are rights and values that a society ought

to uphold

❖Laws upholds these rights and values

❖Consequence:

❖Laws = "morality" and "rights"

 Stage 6: Universal Principles

❖There is a higher stage that defines

the principles for achieving justice
❖They define the principles by which
agreement will be most just,
universal and applicable to all
 Stage 6: Universal Principles
❖View:
❖There are principles needed to achieve justice
❖The principles of justice require us to treat the
claims of all parties in an impartial manner
❖Respect for basic dignity of all people as
individuals
❖Consequence:
❖Hurtful to others = injustice
❖Impartial Decisions = respect for all
Universal Principles.