Kohlberg’s Stages of Moral Reasoning



Kohlberg’s Theory of Moral Reasoning

|Stage |Moral Reasoning |

| |Individuals make moral decisions on the basis of what is best for themselves, without regard for the needs or feeling of |

|PRECONVENTIONAL LEVEL |others.  |

| |They obey rules only if established by more powerful individuals; they disobey when they can do so without getting caught |

| |Example: Paco shouldn’t steal from the drugstore because he would go to jail if he got caught. |

|Stage 1 | |

|Punishment-avoidance and obedience| |

|Stage 2 | |

|Exchange of favors |Individuals begin to recognize that others also have needs; they may attempt to satisfy the needs of others if their own |

| |needs are met in the process.  |

| |They continue to define right & wrong in terms of consequences to themselves |

| |Example: Paco should steal from the drug store because the owner of the store is being greedy by charging so much. |

| | |

|CONVENTIONAL LEVEL |Individuals make moral decisions on the basis of what actions will please others, especially authority figures; concerned |

| |with maintaining interpersonal relationships through sharing, trust & loyalty.  |

| |They now consider someone's intentions in determining innocence or guilt. |

| |Example: Paco should steal from the drug store because that’s what a devoted husband would do. |

|Stage 3 | |

|Good boy/good girl | |

|Stage 4 | |

|Law and order |Individuals look to society as a whole for guidelines concerning what is right or wrong. |

| |They perceive rules to be inflexible and believe that it is their "duty" to obey them. |

| |Example: Paco should not steal from the drug store because it would be against the law and Paco has a duty to uphold the law.|

| | |

| | |

|POSTCONVENTIONAL LEVEL |Individuals recognize that rules represent an agreement among many people about appropriate behavior.  |

| |They recognize that rules are flexible and can be changed if they no longer meet society's needs. |

| |Example: Paco should steal from the drug store because his obligation to save his wife’s life must take precedence over his |

| |obligation to respect the pharmacist’s property rights. |

|Stage 5 | |

|Social Contract | |

|Stage 6 | |

|Universal ethical Principle |Individuals adhere to a small number of abstract, universal principles that transcend specific, concrete rules.  |

| |They answer to an inner conscience & may break rules that violate their own ethical principles. |

| |Example: Even if it were a stranger and not his wife, Paco should steal from the drug store because he must follow his own |

| |conscience and not let another person’s desire for monetary gain outweigh the value of a human life. |

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