Lawrence Kohlberg's stages of moral development

Level 1: Pre-conventional Stage 1

(obedience and punishment driven)
What is right and wrong is determined by what is punishable. Moral action is essentially, the avoidance of punishment

Level 1: Pre-conventional Stage 2

(self-interest driven)
What is right and wrong is determined by what brings rewards and what people want. Other people's want and needs may come into the picture, but only in a reciprocal sense

Level 2: Conventional Stage Stage 3

(interpersonal accord and conformity driven)
Being moral is being a good person in your own eyes and those of others'. What the majority think is right is right by definition

Level 2: Conventional Stage Stage 4

(authority vs social order obedience driven)
Being good means doing one's duty- showing respect for authority and maintaining social order. Laws are unquestionably accepted and obeyed

Level 3: Post-Conventional Stage Stage 5

(social contract driven)
Individuals are viewed as holding different values and opinions. Laws are regarded as social contracts rather than strict dictum. Although laws should be respected, individual rights can sometimes supersede these laws if they become too destructive or restrictive

Level 3: Post-Conventional Stage Stage 6

(universal ethical principles driven)
Moral action is determined by our inner conscience, and may or may not be in agreement with public opinion or society's laws. Moral reasoning is based on abstract reasoning using universal ethical principles. Ethical actions are not a instrumental or a mean to something else: they are an end in themselves