ETHICS

DR. LIONEL E. BUENAFLOR

Head-Social and Behavioural Sciences Department
Head-Batangas Heritage Center
University of Batangas
 LAWRENCE KOHLBERG’S
STAGES OF MORAL
DEVELOPMENT
Dr. Lionel E. Buenaflor
 KOHLBERG’S STAGES OF MORAL
DEVELOPMENT

Unhappy with the relativistic slant of many social scientists,

Kohlberg gathered psychological support for a more objective
approach to morality.

Regardless of our culture, we all develop in our moral

thinking through a series of set stages.

Moral education should help children develop in their

moral thinking toward more advanced stages.

Dr. Lionel E. Buenaflor

 KOHLBERG’S STAGES OF MORAL
DEVELOPMENT

Moral psychology studies what moral development IS.

Moral philosophy considers what moral development

OUGHT TO BE.

The IS of psychology and the OUGHT of philosophy

must be integrated before one can have a reasoned
basis for moral education.

Dr. Lionel E. Buenaflor

 KOHLBERG’S STAGES OF MORAL
DEVELOPMENT

Central to moral education is the problem of relativity of

values.

Are there universal values that children should develop?

Kohlberg’s theory of moral education is both

psychological and philosophical.

Dr. Lionel E. Buenaflor

 KOHLBERG’S STAGES OF MORAL
DEVELOPMENT
Pre-Conventional
Stage 1
Stage 2

Conventional
Stage 3
Stage 4

Post-Conventional
Stage 5
Stage 6

Dr. Lionel E. Buenaflor

 KOHLBERG’S STAGES OF MORAL
DEVELOPMENT
Pre-Conventional
Self-Focused
Concerned with concrete consequences to individuals, focusing
on pursuing concrete interest, while avoiding sanctions.

STAGE 1: Punishment: Authority Orientation

• Obey or Pay
• Authority—Fear

STAGE 2: Pleasure Orientation

• Self-Satisfaction
• “What’s in it for me?”
Dr. Lionel E. Buenaflor
 KOHLBERG’S STAGES OF MORAL
DEVELOPMENT

Stage 1: PUNISHMENT-OBEDIENT ORIENTATION

Orientation to punishment and reward, and to physical and material power.

What is right is to obey the rules, avoid physical damage to persons

and property. The reason is that one wants to avoid punishment.
Also, there is the deference to power and position. In relation to
social perspective, what is considered is simply one’s own interest
as there is still no sense of another’s point of view.

Dr. Lionel E. Buenaflor

 KOHLBERG’S STAGES OF MORAL
DEVELOPMENT

Stage 2: INSTRUMENTAL-PURPOSIVE ORIENTATION

Hedonistic orientation with an instrumental view of human relations.
Beginning notions of reciprocity, but with emphasis on exchange of favors
—”You scratch my back and I’ll scratch yours.”

What is right is one’s immediate interest, and letting others act also
in their own interest. Thus, each to his own. What is right is what is
fair. You do your thing, I do my thing; we have fair, equal exchange.

Dr. Lionel E. Buenaflor

 KOHLBERG’S STAGES OF MORAL
DEVELOPMENT

The reason for this is instrumental, to satisfy one’s need and admit
the needs of others in their own self interest. While the other is
after his/her own interest, I too have my own interest. And if I do
what is wrong, I might not obtain my own interest. Human
relations are seen as a market place, a place of exchange. Fairness,
reciprocity, equal sharing are all interpreted in a physical pragmatic
way.

Dr. Lionel E. Buenaflor

 KOHLBERG’S STAGES OF MORAL
DEVELOPMENT
Conventional Level
Group-Focused
Concerned with fulfilling role expectations, maintaining and
supporting the social order, and identifying persons or groups
involved in this order.

STAGE 3: Peer and Group Acceptance orientation

• Approval—Group Norm
• Loyalty—Belongingness

STAGE 4: Legalistic Orientation

• Law and Order
• Duty to Society
Dr. Lionel E. Buenaflor
 KOHLBERG’S STAGES OF MORAL
DEVELOPMENT

Stage 3: “Good boy” orientation/Interpersonal concordance

orientation: seeking to maintain expectations and win
approval of one’s immediate group.

What is deemed right is what pleases or helps others,

what is approved by others, what reinforces mutual
relationships such as trust, loyalty, respect, gratitude.

Dr. Lionel E. Buenaflor

 KOHLBERG’S STAGES OF MORAL
DEVELOPMENT

The reason for helping others, for pleasing others, for doing
what is conventional or what is mutually good for everyone is
the need to be seen by the self and others as a loyal, caring
person (important here is my image to others), the desire to
maintain rules and authority that support our typical good
behaviour and living up to what significant others expect.

Dr. Lionel E. Buenaflor

 KOHLBERG’S STAGES OF MORAL
DEVELOPMENT

In relation to the social perspective, one takes the third

person perspective where one knows how the group will
react, is aware of shared feelings, agreements, groups
expectations that take primacy over individual interest.

Dr. Lionel E. Buenaflor

 KOHLBERG’S STAGES OF MORAL
DEVELOPMENT
Stage 4: Social Structure Orientation
Orientation to authority, law, and duty, to maintaining a fixed
order, whether social or religious, assumed as a primary value.

What is right is doing one’s duty; showing respect for laws, authority and
society and contributing to the maintenance of society and institutions.
One’s reason for doing one’s duty and the like is that, action which breaks
the social or moral agreements impairs the system which is a value. It
would be hazardous to digress from conformity, from social norms.

Dr. Lionel E. Buenaflor

 KOHLBERG’S STAGES OF MORAL
DEVELOPMENT

One reason for this is that conscience is imperative to the moral law, to
the ethical system. Another reason is the maintenance of the system for
its own sake. The social perspective takes the perspective of a
generalized other and not just the personal other. The generalized other
is the institution, the society, or the church. One sees a given social issue
from the perspective of a fixed system of laws and beliefs.

Dr. Lionel E. Buenaflor

 KOHLBERG’S STAGES OF MORAL
DEVELOPMENT

Post-Conventional Level
In this level, there is the effort to define the moral values and
principles that have validity and application apart from the
authority of groups or persons and the ability to see beyond laws
and norms of society. It is here that one examines, adopts and
applies the different ethical frameworks or principles.

Dr. Lionel E. Buenaflor

 KOHLBERG’S STAGES OF MORAL
DEVELOPMENT
Post-Conventional Level
Universal Focused

STAGE 5: Common Good

• Standards of Society
• Social Contract

STAGE 6: Universal Principles

• Decision of Conscience
• Logical Moral Principles

Dr. Lionel E. Buenaflor

 KOHLBERG’S STAGES OF MORAL
DEVELOPMENT
Stage 5: Social-contract orientation, with emphasis on
equality and mutual obligation within a democratically
established order; for example, the morality of the American
Constitution.

This stage includes what is right; individual rights and

standards which have been critically examined, and agreed
upon one says “these rights have been examined, and
since they are right, they are the ones to be followed.”

Dr. Lionel E. Buenaflor

 KOHLBERG’S STAGES OF MORAL
DEVELOPMENT
Here, one is concerned that obligations be based on
calculations of overall utility, what is really good for all. To a
certain extent, there is universality in this good but still within
basic human society, basic human agreements.

The social perspective here views the rights of each as best

protected when stability governs relations, when one recognizes
that moral and legal perspectives sometimes differ and thus,
one may question the legal, because it may not be moral.

Dr. Lionel E. Buenaflor

 KOHLBERG’S STAGES OF MORAL
DEVELOPMENT

• Moral principles defined apart from authority of persons; can

challenge laws based on rationality.

• Good of the many—CONSENSUS RATHER THAN MAJORITY RULES.

• “AWARENESS OF RELATIVISM OF PERSONAL VALUES;, THUS,

DEFERENCE TO PROCEDURAL RULES FOR REACHING CONSENSUS.

Dr. Lionel E. Buenaflor

 KOHLBERG’S STAGES OF MORAL
DEVELOPMENT

• Laws can be changed, social utility is considered

more important.

• Personal freedom and common good are given

distinction.

• Individual rights can be subsumed to common good.

Dr. Lionel E. Buenaflor

 KOHLBERG’S STAGES OF MORAL
DEVELOPMENT
Stage 6: UNIVERSAL ETHICAL PRINCIPLE
Principles of conscience that have logical
comprehensiveness and universality. Highest value placed
on human life, equality, and dignity.

Kohlberg was not able to observe this stage in his group,

and thus he projected it. What is right is following self-
chosen ethical principles based on judgments that are
universalizable, irreversible, and consistent.

Dr. Lionel E. Buenaflor

 KOHLBERG’S STAGES OF MORAL
DEVELOPMENT

What is right are the universal principles of justice, and the

reasons given are the validity of universal moral principles
and the sense of personal commitment to these principles.

The social perspective taken is the moral point of view from

which even the social arrangements are derived; from this
universalizable moral point of view, moral judgments are made.

Dr. Lionel E. Buenaflor

 KOHLBERG’S STAGES OF MORAL
DEVELOPMENT

• Self-chosen principles

• Principles measured in terms of LOGICAL RATIONALITY,

CONSISTENCY and UNIVERSALITY.

• Concerned with DIGNITY OF OTHERS.

• Thought of as an ideal, aspirational stage.

Dr. Lionel E. Buenaflor

 KOHLBERG’S STAGES OF MORAL
DEVELOPMENT

• Decisions based on CONSCIENCE.

• Conscience is considered a “direct line” to

righteousness, or God, not requiring thought.

• “In the image and likeness of God.”

• But it is also a judgment of reason.

Dr. Lionel E. Buenaflor

 KOHLBERG’S STAGES OF MORAL
DEVELOPMENT

• Decisions based on CONSCIENCE.

• Conscience is considered a “direct line” to

righteousness, or God, not requiring thought.

• “In the image and likeness of God.”

• But it is also a judgment of reason.

Dr. Lionel E. Buenaflor

 KOHLBERG’S STAGES OF MORAL
DEVELOPMENT
SUMMARY OF STAGES
PRE-CONVENTIONAL SELF
Stage 1—Obey or Pay
Stage 2—Self-satisfaction
CONVENTIONAL GROUP
Stage 3—Group Norms
Stage 4—Law and Order

POSTCONVENTIONAL—UNIVERSE
Stage 5—Standards of Society
Stage 6—Logical Moral Principles

Dr. Lionel E. Buenaflor

 KOHLBERG’S STAGES OF MORAL
DEVELOPMENT

Stages 1 and 2 are typical of young children and delinquents

and are described as ‘pre-moral’ since decisions are made
largely on the basis of self-interest.

Stages 3 and 4 are the “conventional” stage at which most

of the adult orientation operates.

The final “principled” stages are characteristic of 20 to 25

percent of the adult population, with perhaps 5 to 10
percent arriving at Stage 6.

Dr. Lionel E. Buenaflor

 KOHLBERG’S STAGES OF MORAL
DEVELOPMENT

At Stage 1, life is valued in terms of the power or possessions

of the person involved.

At Stage 2, life is valued for its usefulness in satisfying the

needs of the individual in question or others.

At Stage 3, life is valued in terms of individual’s relations

with others and their valuation of him.

Dr. Lionel E. Buenaflor

 KOHLBERG’S STAGES OF MORAL
DEVELOPMENT
At Stage 4, life is valued in terms of social or religious laws.

Only at Stage 6 is each life seen as inherently worthwhile

aside from all other considerations.

In terms of motivation for moral action, at the lowest

stage, the individual acts to avoid punishment or to obtain
exchange of favors; at the highest level, to avoid self-
condemnation.

Dr. Lionel E. Buenaflor

 KOHLBERG’S STAGES OF MORAL
DEVELOPMENT
The opportunity for moral role-taking appears to be what is
most important in the contribution of the family to moral
development.
A study of Holstein indicates that children who were
advanced in moral judgment had parents who were also
advanced in moral judgment.

Quite separately, however, the parents’ tendency to stimulate

reciprocal role-taking was also related to the child’s maturity. The
parent who sought the child’s view, who elicited comparison of
views in dialogue, had more advanced children.

Dr. Lionel E. Buenaflor

 MR. PETERSON’S DILEMMA

Mr. Peterson teaches a social studies class in the local high school.
Because of his great rapport with his students, he is known as one
of the best teachers in the school.

One day, after a class discussion of contemporary problems in

America, several class members approached Mr. Peterson in his
office to tell him that they planned to boycott the school cafeteria
in support of the migrant farm workers across the country.

Dr. Lionel E. Buenaflor

 MR. PETERSON’S DILEMMA

Previously, the students had picketed the local grocery store and
passed out leaflets in their neighbourhood. They had also
circulated a petition and had written letters to the school
authorities in an attempt to stop the school from purchasing non-
union lettuce and grapes. Both of these attempts to change
school policy had failed.

The students indicated that they not only planned to boycott the
cafeteria, but hoped to shut it down by setting up a picket line
during lunch hours.

Dr. Lionel E. Buenaflor

 MR. PETERSON’S DILEMMA

The students told Mr. Peterson about the planned boycott because
of the many class discussions in which they had talked about the
American tradition of protest. They also insisted that the success
of the boycott depended on Mr. Peterson not breaking their
confidence; they did not want the school administration to know
about the plans.

Mr. Peterson feels sure that other teachers and the administration
do not know about the planned boycott. He also knows that part
of the student body would not be sympathetic to the boycott and
this could result in a physical confrontation.

Dr. Lionel E. Buenaflor

 MR. PETERSON’S DILEMMA

According to the school rule, any organized student gathering on

school grounds must be cleared by school officials. Mr. Peterson
also knows that faculty members are supposed to notify the school
administration of any activity which may interfere with the school
schedule.

Mr. Peterson discussed the various implications of the boycott with

the students. The students understand these; however, they are
determined to go through with the plan.

Should Mr. Peterson tell the school administration of the

impending boycott and picket line? Why or why not?

Dr. Lionel E. Buenaflor

 Classroom Discussion:

What will be the implication of Mr.

Peterson’s decision regarding the issue?
Should you or should you not make a
decision?

Dr. Lionel E. Buenaflor