Kohlberg's moral development theory expands on Piaget's ideas, categorizing moral reasoning into three levels: pre-conventional, conventional, and post-conventional, each with two sub-stages. Through storytelling and moral dilemmas, notably the Heinz dilemma, it was found that the reasoning behind decisions is more indicative of moral development than the decisions themselves. Critics of the theory argue that it overemphasizes justice, neglects other emotions like compassion, and may not apply universally across cultures, highlighting its relevance in contexts like psychiatric nursing and moral education reform in China.

1. KOHLBERG’S MORAL
DEVELOPMENT THEORY

3. • Lawrence Kohlberg (1958) agreed with Piaget’s (1932) theory of moral development in principle but
wanted to develop his ideas further.
• He used Piaget’s storytelling technique to tell people stories involving moral dilemmas. In each case, he
presented a choice to be considered, for example, between the rights of some authority and the needs of
some deserving individual unfairly treated.
• After presenting people with various moral dilemmas, Kohlberg categorized their responses into
different stages of moral reasoning.
• Using children’s responses to a series of moral dilemmas, Kohlberg established that the reasoning
behind the decision was a greater indication of moral development than the actual answer.
• One of Kohlberg’s best-known stories (1958) concerns Heinz, who lived somewhere in Europe.

4. A woman was near death from a special kind of cancer. There was one drug that
the doctors thought might save her. It was a form of radium that a druggist in
the same town had recently discovered. The drug was expensive to make, but
the druggist was charging ten times what the drug cost him to produce. He paid
$200 for the radium and charged $2,000 for a small dose of the drug. The sick
woman's husband, Heinz, went to everyone he knew to borrow the money, but he
could only get together about $1,000 which is half of what it cost. He told the
druggist that his wife was dying and asked him to sell it cheaper or let him pay
later. But the druggist said: "No, I discovered the drug and I'm going to make
money from it." So Heinz got desperate and broke into the man's store to steal the
The Heinz Dilemma:

5. • By studying the answers from children of different ages to these questions, Kohlberg
hoped to discover how moral reasoning changed as people grew older.
• The sample comprised 72 Chicago boys aged 10–16 years, 58 of whom were followed
up at three-yearly intervals for 20 years (Kohlberg, 1984).
• Each boy was given a 2-hour interview based on the ten dilemmas. Kohlberg was
interested not in whether the boys judged the action right or wrong but in the reasons
for the decision. He found that these reasons tended to change as the children got
older.

6. • Kohlberg identified three levels of moral reasoning: pre conventional, conventional,
and post conventional. Each level has two sub-stages.
• People can only pass through these levels in the order listed. Each new stage replaces
the reasoning typical of the earlier stage. Not everyone achieves all the stages.
Kohlberg asked a series of questions such as:
1.Should Heinz have stolen the drug?
2.Would it change anything if Heinz did not love his wife?
3.What if the person dying was a stranger, would it make any difference?
4.Should the police arrest the chemist for murder if the woman dies?

10. INTRODUCTIO
N
• Kohlberg’s (1968) stages of moral development are not closely tied to specific age
groups.
• Research was conducted with males ranging in age from 10 to 28 years.
• Kohlberg believed that each stage is necessary and basic to the next stage and that
all individuals must progress through each stage sequentially.
• He defined three major levels of moral development, each of which is further
subdivided into two stages each.
• An outline of Kohlberg’s developmental stages is presented in Table 3–6. Most

12. Level I. Pre conventional Level: (Prominent from
Ages 4 to 10 Years) Stage
• At the punishment and obedience orientation stage, the individual is
responsive to cultural guidelines of good or bad and right or wrong,
but primarily in terms of the known related consequences.
• Fear of punishment is likely to be the incentive for conformity (e.g.,
“I’ll do it, because if I don’t I can’t watch TV for a week.”)
Stage 1: Punishment and Obedience Orientation.

13. • Especially common in young children, but adults are capable
of expressing this type of reasoning. At this stage, children
see rules as fixed and absolute.
• Obeys rules in order to avoid punishment.
• Determines a sense of right and wrong by what is punished
and what is not punished.
• Obeys superior authority and allows that authority to make
the rules, especially if that authority has the power to inflict
pain.

14. Stage 2: Instrumental Relativist Orientation.
• Behaviors at the instrumental relativist orientation stage are
guided by egocentrism and concern for self.
• There is an intense desire to satisfy one’s own needs, but occasion
ally the needs of others are considered.
• For the most part, decisions are based on personal benefits
derived (e.g., “I’ll do it if I get something in return,” or
occasionally, “. . . because you asked me to”).

15. • At this stage of moral development, children account for individual points of
view and judge actions based on how they serve individual needs.
Reciprocity is possible, but only if it serves one's own interests.
• Is motivated by vengeance or “an eye for an eye” philosophy.
• Is self-absorbed while assuming that he/she is generous.
• Believes in equal sharing in that everyone gets the same, regardless of
need.
• Believes that the end justifies the means.
• Will do a favor only to get a favor.

16. Level II. Conventional Level: (Prominent from
Ages 10 to 13 Years and into Adulthood)*
Stage 3: Interpersonal Concordance Orientation.
• Behavior at the interpersonal concordance orientation stage is guided
by the expectations of others.
• Approval and acceptance within one’s societal group provide the
incentive to con form (e.g., “I’ll do it because you asked me to,”
“. . . because it will help you,” or “. . . because it will please you”).

17. • This stage of moral development is focused on living up to social expectations
and roles. There is an emphasis on conformity, being "nice," and consideration of
how choices influence relationships.
• Finds peer approval very important.
• ​
Feels that intensions are as important as deeds and expects others to accept
• intentions or promises in place of deeds.
• Begins to put himself/herself in another’s shoes and think from another

18. Stage 4: Law and Order Orientation.
• In the law and order orientation stage, there is a personal respect
for authority.
• Rules and laws are required and override personal principles and
group mores.
• The belief is that all individuals and groups are subject to the
same code of order, and no one shall be exempt (e.g., “I’ll do it

19. • At this stage of moral development, people begin to consider society as a
whole when making judgments. The focus is on maintaining law and order by
following the rules, doing one’s duty, and respecting authority.
• Is a duty doer who believes in rigid rules that should not be changed
• ​
Respects authority and obeys it without question
• Supports the rights of the majority without concern for those in the minority
• Is part of about 80% of the population that does not progress past stage 4

20. Level III. Post conventional Level: (Can Occur from Adolescence Onward)
Stage 5: Social Contract Legalistic Orientation:
• Individuals who reach stage 5 have developed a system of values and principles
that determine for them what is right or wrong; behaviors are acceptably guided
by this value system, provided they do not violate the human rights of others.
• They believe that all individuals are entitled to certain inherent human rights,
and they live according to universal laws and principles.

21. • However, they hold the idea that the laws are subject to scrutiny and
change as needs within society evolve and change (e.g., “I’ll do it because
it is the moral and legal thing to do, even though it is not my personal
choice”).
• At this stage, people begin to account for the differing values, opinions,
and beliefs of other people. Rules of law are important for maintaining a
society, but members of the society should agree upon these standards.

22. • ​
Is motivated by the belief in the greatest amount of good for the
greatest number of people.
• ​
Believes in consensus (everyone agrees), rather than in majority rule.
• ​
Respects the rights of the minority especially the rights of the
individual.
• ​
Believes that change in the law is possible but only through the system.

23. Stage 6: Universal Ethical Principle Orientation:
• Behavior at stage 6 is directed by internalized principles of honor, justice,
and respect for human dignity.
• Laws are abstract and unwritten, such as the “Golden Rule,” “equality of
human rights,” and “justice for all.” They are not the concrete rules
established by society. The con science is the guide, and when one fails to
meet the self expected behaviors, the personal consequence is intense
guilt.

24. • The allegiance to these ethical principles is so strong that the individual will
stand by them even knowing that negative consequences will result (e.g., “I’ll do
it because I believe it is the right thing to do, even though it is illegal and I will
be imprisoned for doing it”).

25. • Kohlberg's final level of moral reasoning is based upon universal ethical
principles and abstract reasoning. At this stage, people follow these
internalized principles of justice, even if they conflict with laws and
rules.
• ​
Believes that there are high moral principles than those represented by
social rules and customs.
• ​
Is willing to accept the consequences for disobedience of the social rule
he/she has rejected.

26. Criticisms of Kohlberg's Theory of Moral Development:
Does moral reasoning necessarily lead to moral behavior? Kohlberg's theory is
concerned with moral thinking, but there is a big difference between knowing
what we ought to do versus our actual actions.
Is justice the only aspect of moral reasoning we should consider? Critics have
pointed out that Kohlberg's theory of moral development overemphasizes the
concept as justice when making moral choices. Other factors such as
compassion, caring, and other interpersonal feelings may play an important part
in moral reasoning.
Does Kohlberg's theory overemphasize Western philosophy? Individualistic
cultures emphasize personal rights while collectivist cultures stress the
importance of society and community. Eastern cultures may have different

27. Relevance of Moral Development Theory to
Nursing Practice
• Moral development has relevance to psychiatric nursing in that it affects critical
thinking about how individuals ought to behave and treat others.
• Moral behavior reflects the way a person interprets basic respect for other per
sons, such as the respect for human life, freedom, justice, or confidentiality.
• Psychiatric nurses must be able to assess the level of moral development of their
clients in order to be able to help them in their effort to advance in their
progression toward a higher level of developmental maturity.

28. SUMMARY

29. JOURNAL
An Analytical Overview of Kohlberg’s Theory of Moral Development in
College Moral Education in Mainland China
Qian Zhang, Honghui Zhao
Department of English and Education, Guangdong University of Foreign Studies, Guangzhou, China.
Abstract
Kohlberg’s theory of moral cognitive development is temporarily the most
influential theory in moral development psychology in the west and is still
applied into practice and proved effective by moral theorists and educators all
over the world. This paper takes this theory as the basis to analyze some
problems existing in college moral education in China. It also suggests
effective strategies to improve college moral education in China, i.e. Chinese
colleges should reform the mode of moral education to increase students’
moral judgment competence, respect the developmental rules of moral
cognition, make full use of the “Zone of proximal development” theory for
moral education to develop students’ moral autonomy, attach great
importance to “moral regression” period, and guide the Chinese moral
education to transit from “teach how to obey” to “teach how to choose.”

30. THANK
YOU!