Kohlberg’s Stages of

1. Kohlberg’s Stages of Moral Reasoning

2. Lawrence Kohlberg Theory about how people deal with moral questions. Based on extensive research and observation. He concluded That there are six major stages of moral reasoning related to human growth and development. People are drawn to the stages higher than theirs through listening to and reflecting on the reasons of others who are at a higher stage.

3. Stages of Moral Reasoning Preconventional Level: Focus on Self Conventional Level: Focus on Group Postconventional Level: Focus on Principles

4. Studies indicate: Stages are natural, not artificial or invented ones They are universal and sequential One does not skip stages, but possible to slip back under stress May be on different levels in various aspects of life Not everyone reaches mature morality Statistics indicate: 15 to 20 percent of Americans adults think at preconventional level ½ percent reach stage 6

5. Stages include growth: from totally self-centered to totally other-centered from reliance on external authority to fidelity to internalized values

6. Preconventional Level: Focus on the self

7. Stage 1: Punishment and Obedience •Physical consequences determine the goodness or badness of an act. •Avoidance of punishment is the key motivation. •The person submits to power and authority in order to avoid punishment.

8. Stage 2: Personal Usefulness •What is right is that which satisfies one’s own needs and occasionally the needs of others. •Human relations and fairness are interpreted in a physical, pragmatic way: what is useful to me? •“You scratch my back and I’ll scratch yours” is a basic motivation.

9. Conventional Level: Focus on the group

10. Stage 3: Conforming to the will of the group •Good behavior is that which pleases or helps others and gets approval from them. •One conforms to standard ideas of appropriate behavior. •One earns acceptance by being “nice.” •Behavior is often judged by intention—”they mean well.”

11. Stage 4: Law and Order •One sees obedience to rules for their own sake as necessary to maintain order. •Right behavior consists of doing one’s duty and respecting authority. •Flaws in the system are due to the failure of individuals to obey the system.

12. Postconventional Level: Focus on the principles

13. Stage 5: Social Contract •Right action is described in terms of general values that have been agreed upon by the whole society. •Laws are justified on the basis of general principles. •One may work to change the law for the sake of society. •Right action is seen as a matter of personal values.

14. Stage 6: Personal Conscience Right is a decision of personal conscience in accord with abstract ethical principles that apply to all persons everywhere. • Decisions are based upon universal principles of justice, the reciprocity and equality of human rights, and respect for the dignity of human beings as individual persons. • • Choices are grounded in genuine moral interest in the well being of others, regardless of who or where they are.

15. Examples of stages: Stage 1 A child obeys his mother so that he will not be punished. Stage 2 A child follows school rules so she will be selected as a hall monitor.

16. Stage 3 A young person drinks beer at a party because everyone else is doing it. Stage 4 A young person obeys all traffic laws simply because they are the law.

17. Stage 5 Civil rights advocates fight for laws that support equal opportunity. Stage 6 Some people are willing to go to prison or to endure physical pain as a consequence of their beliefs and choices.

18. A person can make a morally good decision at any stage, even the lowest We are, however, called to mature to the insight and freedom of the higher stages.

19. Example: telling the truth Stage 1:  I don’t want to get spanked! (or grounded) Stage 2:  If I do I’ll get to use the car to go to the dance. Etc.

20. Stage 3:  My parents (teachers) will think I’m a good person Stage 4:  You should – it’s the right thing to do.

21. Stage 5:  I believe in it, but sometimes I may not be able to tell the truth because I have to safeguard someone else’s privacy or confidence, or the person is asking me something that s/he has no right to know! Stage 6:  I will always stand up for the truth, even if it costs me my life, or property, or friends, or reputation.