Stages of Moral Development

Who created Stages of Moral Development

Lawrence Kohlberg

Pre-Conventional Level

Stage 1: Punishment and obedience

Stage 2: Individual and Instrumental Exchange

Conventional Level

Stage 3: Mutual and Interpersonal Conformity

Stage 4: Law and Order

Post-Conventional Level

Stage 5: Social contract and individual rights

Stage 6: Universal ethical principles

Stage 1:

Obedience and Punishment Orientation: Morality is based on avoiding punishment.

Stage 2:

Individualism and Exchange: Morality involves pursuing one's own interests while respecting others' interests.

A moral perspective characterized by the principle of "an eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth" is based on a retaliatory or retributive approach to justice.

Who transcended Stage 2 rather than being confined to it

Ghandi and Jesus Christ

Stage 3:

Good Interpersonal Relationships: Morality is defined by social approval, maintaining relationships, and conforming to societal expectations.

Stage 4:

Maintaining Social Order: Morality is about following laws and upholding social order.

In Kohlberg’s reasoning, people who merely follow the rules and regulations of their institution, the laws of their community or state, the doctrine of their religion—even if they seem to be the truly right thing to do—are trapped in this ______

second or conventional level

Stage 5:

Social Contract and Individual Rights: Morality transcends individual perspectives and considers societal agreements and individual rights.

Stage 6

Universal Principles: Morality is guided by universal ethical principles, even if they conflict with societal laws or rules

Moral Maturity

an agent who acts on what she has understood, using her full rationality, to be what is right, regardless of whether the act will bring the agent pleasure or pain and even regardless of whether the act is in accordance with one’s community’s laws or not.

“because Kohlberg’s theory was based on an all-male sample, the stages reflect a male definition of morality” according to who

Gilligan

Androcentric

Male definition of morality

Womens’ morality is based on ….

Compassion and care

Mens’ morality is based on ….

law and justice