LESSON 8 - moral reasoning stages

stage 1

punishment/ obedience, whatever leads to punishment is wrong

stage 2

rewards the right way, to behave is the way that is rewarded

stage 3

good intentions, behaving ways that can form to good behavior

stage 4

obedience to authority, “doing one’s duty”

stage 5

difference between moral and legal right, recognition that rules should sometimes be broken

stage 6

individual principles

Heteronomous morality

(rules are fixed, adult authority)

Autonomous morality

rules can change, intentions matte

jean piaget

proposed that children’s moral reasoning develops through stages as their cognitive abilities mature

Moral Dilemmas

• Used to understand how individuals reason.

• Example: Heinz stealing medicine for his wife.

• Focus is on reasoning, not the actual conclusion.

Justice

• Central theme across all stages.

• The theory is built around fairness, responsibility, and equality.

Stage Progression

• Stages are invariant—you cannot skip a stage.

• People rarely regress.