Theory of Moral Development - Lawrence Kohlberg

9 y/o

preconventional level AGE

preconventional level

base their moral judgments on the consequences of behavior

stage 1 - obedience and punishment (orientation)

stage:
good behavior is obedient and allows one to avoid punishment

stage 2 - instrumental hedonism

stage:
good behavior allows people to satisfy their needs (one's best interest) and those of others

preconventional level

conforming to rules imposed by authority figures to avoid punishment or obtain reward

preconventional level

rules are external to the self rather than internalized

preconventional level

what is right is what one can get away with or what is personally satisfying

conventional level

right and wrong are judged by conformity to conventional standards of right and wrong

stage 3 - "good-boy orientation"

stage:
meets the needs and expectation of others

stage 3 - "good-boy orientation"

stage:
doing what is normal AKA what the majority does

stage 3 - "good-boy orientation"

stage:
classifying moral judgments whether it will please or help others

stage 3 - "good-boy orientation"

stage:
being seen as good is the goal

stage 4 - authority and social order-maintaining morality

stage:
based on rules that maintain social order

stage 4 - authority and social order-maintaining morality

stage:
shows respect for authority and doing one's duty are valued highly

stage 4 - authority and social order-maintaining morality

stage:
being good equates to respecting authority and obeying the law

stage 4 - authority and social order-maintaining morality

stage:
conforming is not due to punishment but due to belief that rules and law maintains social order

adolescence - early adulthood

conventional level age

conventional level

individual has internalized many moral values

conventional level

some may not be able to move past this stage

conventional level

strives to obey rules set by others to win approval and later to maintain social order

postconventional level

focuses on dilemmas in which individual needs are pitted against the need to maintain the social order and on personal conscience

postconventional level

based on person's own conscience and universal moral principles than social norms

postconventional level

transcends the perspectives of particular social groups or authorities

postconventional level

begins to take the perspective of all individuals

not all, may start in adolescence

postconventional level age

postconventional level

moral reasoning is based on the person's own moral standards

postconventional level

moral judgments are derived from personal values

stage 5 - social contract stage

stage:
recognized that laws stem from agreed upon procedures and that the rule of law is in general good for society

stage 5 - social contract stage

stage:
laws should not be violated except under pressing circumstances

stage 6 - universal ethical principles

stage:
moral reasoning demands adherence to supposedly universal ethical principles

stage 6 - universal ethical principles

stage:
if a law is unjust or contradicts the rights of the individual, it is wrong to obey it

"Do unto others as you would have them do unto you"

golden rule

postconventional level

sees their conscience as the highest moral authority