Moral Development
LAWRENCE KOHLBERG MORAL
DEVELOPMENT
LAWRENCE KOHLBERG
(born on October 25, 1927 — died on January 17, 1987)
American psychologist and educator known for his theory of moral
development.
A psychologist who portrayed on education, anthropology, and
philosophy, to inform his work on the development of moral judgment
and on moral behavior.
WHAT IS MORAL DEVELOPMENT?
Moral Development is an aspect of a person’s overall
development that follows over the course of a lifetime.
Moral Development is growth and, like all growth, it takes
place according to a pre-determined sequence.
KOHLBERG'S THEORY OF MORAL
DEVELOPMENT
This theory is a stage theory. In other words, everyone goes through
the stages sequentially without skipping any stage.
Assessed moral reasoning by posing hypothetical moral dilemmas and
examining the reasoning behind people’s answers.
Proposed three distinct of moral reasoning: Pre- conventional,
Conventional, and Post- conventional.
HOW DID KOHLBERG COME UP WITH
THE THEORY OF MORAL
DEVELOPMENT?
All his ideas started from the research he performed with very young
children as his subjects. He found out that children are faced with
different moral issues, and their judgments on whether they are to act
positively or negatively over each dilemma are heavily influenced by
several factors. In each scenario that Kohlberg related to the children, he
was not really asking whether or not the person in the situation is morally
right or wrong, but he wanted to find out the reasons why these children
think that the character is morally right or not.
For purposes of illustration, Kohlberg uses the Heinz Dilemma. The Heinz Dilemma: A
woman was near death from a special kind of cancer. There was one drug that the doctors
thought might save her. It was a form of radium that a pharmacist in the same town had
recently discovered. The drug was expensive to make, but the pharmacist was charging ten
times what the drug cost him to produce. He paid $200 for the radium and charged $2,000 for
a small dose of the drug. The sick woman's husband, Heinz, went to everyone he knew to
borrow the money, but he could only get together about $1,000 which is half of what it cost.
He told the pharmacist that his wife was dying and asked him to sell it cheaper or let him pay
later. But the pharmacist said: "No, I discovered the drug and I'm going to make money from
it." So Heinz got desperate and broke into the man's store to steal the drug for his wife.
SIX STAGES OF MORAL DEVELOPMENT
Level 1: Pre-Conventional Moral Development
Stage 1 Punishment-Obedience Orientation
Stage 2 Instrumental Relativist Orientation
Level 2: Conventional Moral Development
Stage 3 Good boy-Good girl Orientation
Stage 4 Law and Order Orientation
Level 3: Post-Conventional Moral Development
Stage 5 Social-Contract Legalistic Orientation
Stage 6 Universal Ethical Principle Orientation
LEVEL 1: PRE-CONVENTIONAL
MORALITY [BIRTH-ADOLESCENCE]
Young children do not really understand the conventions or rules of a
society.
Stage 1 - Punishment-Obedience Orientation - Related to Skinner’s
Operational Conditioning, this stage includes the use of punishment
so that the person refrains from doing the action and continues to
obey the rules.
LEVEL 1: PRE-CONVENTIONAL
MORALITY [BIRTH-ADOLESCENCE]
Stage 2 - Self Interest Orientation / Instrumental Relativist
Orientation - In this stage a good action is seen as one that is in the best
interest of the individual. Favors may be done for another child so that in
return favors will be returned by the other. Lies could be told to cover for
another so that in return a similar favor is owed to the individual. The
underlying concern of stage thinking is “what’s it for me”. The child will
follow rules if there is a known benefit to him or her. Children in this
stage are very concerned with what is fair.
LEVEL 2: CONVENTIONAL MORALITY
[ADOLESCENCE-YOUNG ADULTHOOD]
Stage 3 - “Good boy-Good girl" Orientation - Individuals at this stage of moral
reasoning will try to win the approval of others so that their identity is perceived as
good. The acceptance of the individual by the peer group has a huge impact in terms of
what actions are considered good or bad. At this stage people tend to judge the morality
of actions in terms of evaluating their consequences in relation to a person’s
relationships. Good and bad intentions are recognized. People want their relationships
to be characterized by respect, gratitude and treating others as we wish to be treated. A
good action is therefore on that will bring about this positive result.
LEVEL 2: CONVENTIONAL MORALITY
Stage 4 – Law and Order
Orientation [ADOLESCENCE-YOUNG ADULTHOOD]
The desire to have a functioning society is at the heart of this stage of
moral reasoning. Laws, norms and conventions become very important in
so far as they maintain a functioning society. People at this stage of moral
reasoning have moved beyond the strong need for individual approval
associated with stage three. The concern at stage four is transcending
individual needs in favor of the needs of society as a whole.
LEVEL 3: POST-CONVENTIONAL MORALITY
[ADULTHOOD]
Stage 5 - Social-Contract Legalistic Orientation
At this stage it is recognized that individuals can hold different opinions and values and
these should be respected impartially. It is believed that contracts will allow the
individual and society to both increase their welfare. It is therefore known as a
contractual perspective. Freedom of choice becomes important and certain fundamental
principles are upheld, such as the right to life and the right to choose. At this stage, no
single choice is seen as right or absolute since others do not have the moral
authority to judge the actions of the individual.
LEVEL 3: POST-CONVENTIONAL MORALITY
[ADULTHOOD]
Stage 6 – Universal Ethical Principle Orientation
Moral reasoning is based on abstract reasoning at this stage. Conscience is
seen as an important factor in making moral decisions. Mutual respect is
valued as a universal principle. Laws are seen as valid only in so far as they
promote the principle of justice. Therefore, there is an obligation on
people to disobey an unjust law. Decisions are met categorically and in
an absolute way rather that with conditions attached.
4 QUALITIES OF MORAL DEVELOPMENT
1. Stage development is steady. - one must progress
through the stages in order, and one cannot get to a
higher stage without passing through the stage
immediately preceding it.
4 QUALITIES OF MORAL DEVELOPMENT
2. Subjects cannot comprehend moral reasoning at a stage
more than one stage beyond their own. - Thus a person at
stage two, who categorizes good and bad on the basis of his
own pleasure, cannot comprehend reasoning at stage four
which appeals to fixed duties the performance of which need
not offer any promise of reward or pleasure.
4 QUALITIES OF MORAL DEVELOPMENT
3. Subjects are cognitively attracted to reasoning one level above their
own main level. - A stage one person will be attracted by stage two
reasoning, a stage two person by stage three reasoning, and so on.
Kohlberg states that reasoning at higher stages is cognitively more
acceptable than reasoning at lower stages, since it resolves problems
and dilemmas in a more satisfactory way.
4 QUALITIES OF MORAL DEVELOPMENT
4. Movement through the stages is effected when cognitive
uncertainty is created. - That is, when a person’s cognitive outlook is
not suitable to cope with a given moral dilemma. If in a given
situation one’s cognitive framework cannot resolve a problem, the
cognitive organism adjusts to a framework which does. Yet if a
person’s orientation is not disturbed there is no reason to expect any
development.
These qualities of moral development are, as I said, important to keep
in mind. Because they have not only been verified time and again by
research but they also make sense if one looks at the development of
one’s cognitive capacity as a kind of orderly growth. • Kohlberg
believed, as Piaget did, that most moral development occurs through
social interaction.
