Lawrence Kohlberg proposed a theory of moral development consisting of 6 stages across 3 levels - pre-conventional, conventional, and post-conventional. At the pre-conventional level, morality is based on obedience and self-interest. The conventional level focuses on maintaining social order and relationships. The post-conventional level assesses morality based on universal ethical principles of justice. Kohlberg's theory has been influential but also faces criticisms regarding its universality and ability to account for alternative perspectives like Carol Gilligan's view on an ethics of care.

1. Presented By;
Samina Nasir
TOPIC;
STAGES OF MORAL
DEVELOPMENT BY LAWRENCE
KOHLBERG (1971)

2. LAWRENCE
KOHLBERG
1927 - 1983
• Lawerence Kohlberg born in 1927
• Grew up in Bronxville, New York
• Died on January 17th, 1987 at the
age of 59
• Kohlberg became a professor of
education and social psychology at
Harvard in 1968
• His book on moral development is
used by teachers around the world to
promote moral reasoning.

3. THREE LEVELS

4. THEORY
I. Pre-Conventional Morality
Stage1. Obedience or Punishment Orientation
Stage 2. Self-Interest Orientation
II. Conventional Morality
Stage 3. Social Conformity Orientation
Stage 4. Law and Order Orientation
III. Post-Conventional Morality
Stage 5. Social Contract Orientation
Stage 6. Universal Ethics Orientation

5. LEVEL ONE
PRE-CONVENTIONAL MORALITY

6. STAGE #1:OBEDIENCE AND PUNISHMENT
ORIENTATION
Morality is based upon the
physical punishment
that follows an action,
rather than right or
wrong. The concern is
for self - "Will I get into
trouble for doing (or not
doing) it?" Good
behavior is associated
with avoiding
punishment.
EX: The child won’t grab the
candy at the supermarket for
fear of being slapped

7. STAGE #2: SELF INTEREST ORIENTATION
• The concern is "What's in
it for me?" Action is
judged right if it helps in
satisfying one's needs or
involves a fair exchange.
EX: A mother tells her child:
“If you are quiet at the
mall, I will buy you an ice
cream.”

8. THE CONVENTIONAL LEVEL
• Needs of Laws and society are the defining features.
• “Don't steal” because it is against the law
• Good behaviour is motivated to maintain the
affection and approval of friends and relatives
• Understand that standards are set for the current social
system, not getting that there is self-interest involved
(e.g., no such thing as a bad law)

9. STAGE #3: SOCIAL CONFORMITY
ORIENTATION
People should live up to
the expectations of the
family and community
and behave in "good"
ways. Good behavior
means having good
motives and
interpersonal feelings
such as love, empathy,
trust, and concern for
others.

10. STAGE #4: LAW AND ORDER ORIENTATION
While stage three actions are more
concerned with pleasing your
family, stage four is associated
with following society as a whole.
Emphasis is spent on obeying
laws to maintain social order.
EX: If you drink and drive your
endangering the lives of others
on the road, not just yourself.

11. THE POSTCONVENTIONAL LEVEL
• Personal moral beliefs and values
• Characterized by references to universal
ethical principles that represent
protecting the rights or of all people

12. STAGE #5: SOCIAL CONTRACT ORIENTATION
• At stage 5, people begin to ask, "What makes for a good
society?" They begin to think about society considering the
rights and values that a society ought to uphold.
Stage #6: Universal Ethical Principal Orientation
As human beings we are obligated to live by the
principal that “all men are created equal”
regardless of race, religion, sexual orientation, or
political belief. Justice is universal, so unjust laws
must be broken.

13. Kohlberg’s Moral
Dilemma

14. In Europe, 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 make.
He paid $400 for the radium and charged $4,000 for a small dose of
the drug.
The sick woman's husband, Heinz, went to everyone he knew to
borrow the money and tried every legal means, but he could
only get together about $2,000, which is half of what it cost.

15. 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, having tried every legal means, Heinz gets anxious and
considers breaking into the man's store to steal the drug for
his wife.

16. CRITICISMS OF KOHLBERG'S THEORY:
• Carol Gilligan,
• B. Charles Bailey, UCF

17. IMPLICATION OF THEORY IN EDUCATION
• Teaching Students "How to Think": Moral
Problem-Solving
• Emphasis on Student Activity and Discovery
• The Primary Outcome: Skill in How to Grow
Morally
• Building an Environment

18. CONCLUSION
• It is concluded that at stage 1 child think of what is right as that which
authority says is right. Doing the right thing is obeying authority and avoiding
punishment. At stage 2, children are no longer so impressed by any single
authority; they see that there are different sides to any issue. Since
everything is relative, one is free to pursue one's own interests, although it is
often useful to make deals and exchange favors with others.
• At stages 3 and 4, young people think as members of the conventional
society with its values, norms, and expectations. At stage 3, they emphasize
being a good person, which basically means having helpful motives toward
people close to one At stage 4, the concern shifts toward obeying laws to
maintain society as a whole.
• At stages 5 and 6 people are less concerned with maintaining society for its
own sake, and more concerned with the principles and values that make for
a good society. At stage 5 they emphasize basic rights and the democratic
processes that give everyone a say, and at stage 6 they define the principles
by which agreement will be most just.

19. REFERENCES;
• Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press. Kohlberg, L., Levine, C., & Hewer, A. (1981).
• Gilligan, C. (1982). In a different voice: Psychological theory and women’s development.
• Light, vol. 15, no. 2, pp. 231-239, Summer 1978
• Moral stages: A current formulation and a response to critics. Basel: Karger
• Robert R. Newton,Kohlberg: Implications for high school programs; Published in Living
Light, vol. 15, no. 2, pp. 231-239, Summer 1978