Module 8:

Kohlberg’s Stages of
Moral Development
 Learning Objectives

At the end of this Module, you should be able to:

 Understand the Stages of Moral Development

 Analyze a person’s level of Moral Reasoning based on his

responses to moral dilemmas

 Know how the Theory of Moral Development can be applied to

your work as a teacher
 Lawrence Kohlberg

 American Psychologist and an

Educator best known for his
Theory of Stages of Moral
Development.

 Born in Bronxville, New York

 MORAL

concerned with the principles of right and wrong

behavior and the goodness or badness of human
character.
 Stages of Moral Development

 Kohlberg's theory of moral development is a theory that focuses

on how children develop morality and moral reasoning.

 The theory focuses on the thinking process that occurs when one
decided whether a behavior is right or wrong.

 Kohlberg’s theory is broken down into three primary levels. At

each level of moral development, there are two stages.
 HEINZ DILEMMA

A woman has a rare form of cancer. There was one drug that the doctors said
would save her. The drug costs $200 per radium. He paid $200 for the radium but
charged $2,000 ten times of the original price.The sick woman’s husband, Heinz,
went to everyone he knew to borrow money and tried every legal means, but he
could only get together about $1,000. He asked the doctor scientist who discovered
the drug for a discount or to let him pay later. The doctor refused. So Heinz got
desperate and broke into man’s store to steal the drug for his wife.

Should Heinz have broken into the laboratory to steal the drug for his wife?
Why or why not?
 Kohlberg’s Stage of Moral Development

Level 1  Stage 1. PUNISHMENT/OBEDIENCE –

PRE- One is motivated by fear of punishment.
CONVENTIONAL He will act in order to avoid punishment.
Moral reasoning is based on the
consequences/result of the act, is
 Stage 2. MUTUAL BENEFITS – One is
not on whether the act itself is motivated to act by the benefit that one
good or bad.
may obtain later. You scratch my back, I’ll
scratch yours.
 Kohlberg’s Stage of Moral Development

Level 2  Stage 3. SOCIAL APPROVAL – One is

CONVENTIONAL
Moral reasoning is based on
the conventions or “norms”
of society. This may include
approval of others, law and
order.
 Stage 4. LAW AND ORDER – One is
motivated by what others expect in
behavior – good boy, good girl. The person
acts because he/she values how he/she will
appear to others. He/she gives importance
on what people will think or say
motivated to act in order to uphold law
and order.
 Kohlberg’s Stage of Moral Development

Level 3
 Stage 5. SOCIAL CONTRACT – Laws that are
POST- wrong can be changed. One will act based on
CONVENTIONAL social justice and the common good.

 Stage 6. UNIVERSAL PRINCIPLES – This is

Moral reasoning is based on associated with the development of one’s
enduring or consistent
conscience. Having a set of standards that drives
principles. It is not just
one to possess moral responsibility to make
recognizing the law, but the
societal changes regardless of consequences to
principles behind the law.
oneself.