GEd 107 Module 9: Kohlberg's Stages of Moral Development

Lawrence Kohlberg (1927-1987)

An American psychologist who expanded on Jean Piaget's work, proposing that moral development is a cognitive process evolving through structured stages.

The Cognitive Premise of Kohlberg's Theory

Tracking moral development depends fundamentally on why people make specific choices, rather than just what choices they make.

Formative triggers of moral reasoning

Social institutions including family, religion, school, and friends that continuously shape an individual's sense of right and wrong.

The Heinz Dilemma

A foundational moral scenario used by Kohlberg involving a desperate man who breaks into a pharmacy to steal an overpriced cancer drug to save his dying wife.

Level 1: Preconventional Level

The initial level where morality is completely externally controlled by adult authority figures, and rules are followed strictly to avoid punishment or secure rewards.

Stage 1: Obedience and Punishment Orientation

The stage where behavior is dictated entirely by the desire to avoid punishment, and right/wrong are determined strictly by physical or legal consequences.

Stage 2: Instrumental Purpose Orientation

The stage where right behavior means acting directly in one's own best interest, centering on personal gains, physical rewards, or mutual favors.

Level 2: Conventional Level

The level where morality is defined and guided by social norms, conventions, corporate conformity, and seeking social approval.

Stage 3: Good Boy / Nice Girl Orientation

The stage where an action's morality is judged by internal intentions and a strong desire to win peer affection and be seen as a genuinely "good" person.

Stage 4: Law and Order Orientation

The stage where right behavior involves systematically obeying laws, respecting state authorities, and fulfilling designated duties to maintain a stable social order.

Level 3: Postconventional (Principled) Level

The advanced level where morality is defined by abstract principles and internal ethical values that look completely beyond local laws.

Stage 5: Social Contract Orientation

The stage where laws are viewed flexibly as social contracts designed to preserve human rights, and should be changed if they violate welfare or basic rights.

Stage 6: Universal Ethical Principle Orientation

The highest stage where morality is guided entirely by internalized, universal principles of justice, equality, and human rights from the perspective of all affected parties.

The Care Critique (Carol Gilligan)

A prominent critique arguing that Kohlberg's theory failed to account for female moral development, which emphasizes care, empathy, and relationships over legalistic justice.