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Kohlberg’s Theory of Moral Development

Kohlberg’s Theory of Moral Development. Follows Piaget’s cognitive developmental theory As you progress through the cognitive stages, you progress through moral stages as well.

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Kohlberg’s Theory of Moral Development

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  1. Kohlberg’s Theory of Moral Development • Follows Piaget’s cognitive developmental theory • As you progress through the cognitive stages, you progress through moral stages as well. • Kohlberg gave 10-13 year-old boys a series of moral dilemmas (e.g., Heinz scenario) and asked them what they thought and why. • He didn’t care about the decision the boys made—only the reasoning behind it.

  2. Progression of morality • Starts as completely external to the self; you’re good because others (parents, teachers, God, etc) tell you to be. • The higher your moral level, the more internalized it becomes. • At the highest level, morality is completely internalized—you’re “good” because you have your own internal code of ethics to uphold.

  3. Three general levels of morality • Level 1: Preconventional morality • Substage 1 • Substage 2 • Level 2: Conventional morality • Substage 3 • Substage 4 • Level 3: Post-conventional morality • Substage 5 • Substage 6

  4. Preconventional morality • Found in children and some adults • Morality is completely externalized • First stage: The goodness or badness of an act depends on its consequences (how much trouble will you get into?) • Second stage: called “Naïve hedonism:” you conform to rules in order to gain rewards of satisfy personal objectives (e.g., some politicians)

  5. Conventional morality • Where most adults • Morality is somewhat internalized, but it’s still externalized as well. • Stage 3: “good boy or good girl” orientation—most women found here—Moral behavior is that which pleases or helps others. Person wants to be thought of as “good.” • Stage 4: most men are here—what’s moral equals what is legal. Must conform to rules of legitimate authority; laws transcend social interest.

  6. Post-conventional morality • Very rare; only 10% of adults are found here • Morality is completely internalized • Stage 5: What is moral is not necessarily equal to what is legal. Laws can be unjust, in which case the moral thing to do is break the law. Person is bound only by internal moral code. • Stage 6: so abstract and “transcendental” that it’s been dropped from the theory because no one was at stage 6.

  7. Sequence of progression • Before age 9, most children are at level 1, preconventional morality. • Stage 4 doesn’t appear at all among 10-year-olds. • Stage 4 is found in 62% of 36-year-olds. • Stage 5 doesn’t appear until at least age 20-22 but never characterizes more than 10% of the population. • Once you reach one stage, you supposedly never regress to an earlier stage.

  8. Criticisms of his theory • Women don’t like it because it appears that they reason at a lower moral level than most men do. • A person’s moral reasoning may not reflect his moral actions (e.g., terrorism) • There are cultural differences in moralitly that aren’t reflected in the theory • Conservatives appear to reason at level 2, whereas liberals are overrepresented at level 5.

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