Kohlberg

1. Kohlberg’s Stages of
Moral Development
Kohlberg divides his “stages of
development into three categories
– pre-conventional, conventional,
and post-conventional. You may
think of theses as below average,
average, and above average.
Kohlberg divides his “stages of
development into three categories
– pre-conventional, conventional,
and post-conventional. You may
think of theses as below average,
average, and above average.

2. Kohlberg’s Stages of
Moral Development
Reasoners judge the morality of an
action by its direct consequences
and are purely concerned with the
self in an egocentric manner
common in children –
Reasoners judge the morality of an
action by its direct consequences
and are purely concerned with the
self in an egocentric manner
common in children –
Level 1 –
Level 1 –

3. Kohlberg’s Stages of
Moral Development
L-1 Stage 1 –
You will sit in
time out for 15
minutes!
How can
I avoid punishment?
An action is perceived
as morally wrong if
the person who com-
mits it is punished.

4. Kohlberg’s Stages of
Moral Development
L-1 Stage 2 – What’s in
it for me? – Shows a
limited interest in the
needs of others as in
“You scratch my back
and I’ll scratch yours.”

5. Kohlberg’s Stages of
Moral Development
Level 2 –
Reasoners behave conventionally,
judging the morality of their own
actions by comparing them to
societal views and expectations.
adolescents and adults –

6. L-2 Stage 3 – The
good boy/good
girl attitude –
A desire to
maintain rules +
intentions are
more important
than actions
No! I’m
allergic!
Kohlberg’s Stages of
Moral Development
“It’s OK. She
meant well.”
“It’s OK. She
meant well.”
No! I’m
allergic!

7. L-2 Stage 4 – Law and
order morality –
An obligation to uphold
laws and rules seperating
the good from the bad – if
one person gets away with
violating a rule, anyone
could; society falls apart.
Kohlberg’s Stages of
Moral Development

8. Kohlberg’s Stages of
Moral Development
Level 3 –
Reasoners acknowledge that
individuals are separate entities
from society, and their perspective
should be viewed before society’s.
morally mature adults –

9. L-3 Stage 5 – Social contract orientation –
Laws are contracts, not rigid dictums;
those that do not promote the general
welfare should be changed – the greatest
good for the greatest number of people.
Kohlberg’s Stages of
Moral Development

10. L-3 Stage 6 – The Principled conscience –
Based on abstract reasoning in which
justice is the only deontic imperative; no-
hing is hypothetical; actions are absolute –
Imagine what you would do in the shoes of
someone who was imagining what any
principled person would do. Consensus!
Kohlberg’s Stages of
Moral Development