Moral Development

(Pre-Conventional Morality)

Marian Jordan Guantero

BSED 2 – Social Studies
WHAT IS MORAL
DEVELOPMENT ?
Moral development is the
process through which
children develop proper
attitudes and behaviors toward
other people in society, based
on social and cultural norms,
rules, and laws. (Encyclopedia of
Children’s Health)
 HEINZ dilemma
Heinz’s wife was dying from a particular type of cancer. Doctors said a
new drug might save her. The drug had been discovered by a local
chemist, and the Heinz tried desperately to buy some, but the chemist
was charging ten times the money it cost to make the drug, and this was
much more than the Heinz could afford.
Heinz could only raise half the money, even after help from family and
friends. He explained to the chemist that his wife was dying and asked if
he could have the drug cheaper or pay the rest of the money later.
The chemist refused, saying that he had discovered the drug and was
going to make money from it. The husband was desperate to save his
wife, so later that night he broke into the chemist’s and stole the drug.
 HEINZ dilemma
1. Should Heinz have stolen the drug?
2. Would it change anything if Heinz did not love his wife?
3. What if the person dying was a stranger, would it make any
difference?
4. Should the police arrest the chemist for murder if the
woman died?
KOHLBERG'S COGNITIVE THEORY OF MORAL
DEVELOPMENT

• Based on Jean Piaget’s theory of moral

judgment for children (1932) and developed
by Lawrence Kohlberg in 1958.
• Lawrence Kohlberg’s theory of moral
development states that we progress through
three levels of moral thinking that build on our
cognitive development (pre-conventional,
conventional, post-conventional).
• “Heinz” dilemma
 Pre- Conventional Morality
 (most nine-year-olds and younger, some over nine)

• A child’s sense of morality is externally controlled.

• Children accept and believe the rules of authority figures, such as
parents and teachers.
• Rules imposed by authority figures are conformed to in order to avoid
punishment or receive rewards.
 Stages
STAGE 1: PUNISHMENT &
OBEDIENCE

Children obey rules because they are told to

do so by an authority figure (parent or teacher),
and they fear punishment if they do not follow
rules.
 Stages
STAGE 2: Instrumental Orientation

• The behavior is governed by moral reciprocity.

• The child will follow rules if there is a known
benefit to him or her.
• Example, if one child hits another, the injured child
will hit back. This is considered equitable justice.
• Children in this stage are very concerned with what
is fair.
“The development that produces
great art is a moral development and
not an aesthetic development.”
- Patrick Swift
References
• https://courses.lumenlearning.com/teachereducationx92x1/chap
ter/kohlbergs-stages-of-moral-
development/#targetText=Children%20accept%20and
%20believe%20the,that%20certain%20actions%20may
%20bring.
• https://www.britannica.com/science/Lawrence-Kohlbergs-
stages-of-moral-development
• https://www.simplypsychology.org/kohlberg.html