Kohlberg’s Moral Stages - psych notes......cont...

Kohlberg’s Moral Stages

Pre conventional is an emphasis on avoiding punishment and getting rewards

0 – pre-moral     (no moral)

Stage 1      - Heteronymous morality:  punishment and obedience orientation (physical consequences determine what is     

                    good and bad. 

Stage 2         Naïve hedonistic orientation – what satisfies one’s own needs is good).

Conventional (emphasis on social rules)

Stage 3         Interpersonal conformity – ethics of peer opinion, good boy – good girl orientation (what pleases or helps others is good)

Stage 4         Social system orientation, conformity to social system; ethics of law and order- social order (maintaining social order; doing one’s duty is good)

Post Conventional – emphasis of moral principals

Stage 5         social contract orientations- ethics of social contract and individual rights - legalistic orientation (values agreed by society determine what is right)

Stage 6         universal ethical principal (what is right is a matter of conscience in accordance

                     with universal principals.  Ethics of self chosen universal principals.

Note:   One may not reach all stages and/or one may move back and forth along the stages.

  Piaget studies of children’s moral reasoning revealed that children’s moral schemata develop out of existing cognitive structures.  From moral co-operation to autonomy.  The child moves from a reliance on authority to socially developed rules.  In the interest of others to a recognition that there are other rules of personal responsibility, a higher personal morality.