Republic of the Philippines

Bicol University
COLLEGE OF SOCIAL SCIENCES & PHILOSOPHY
Philosophy Department
Daraga, Albay

ISO 9001:2015
TUV Rheinland ID 910863351

Mark M. Gatus, LPT

Marck Zaldy O. Camba, LPT

Prepared by:
Mark M. Gatus & Marck Zaldy O. Camba
Faculty Members, BU Philosophy Department
 Introduction

Lawrence Kohlberg an American psychologist and educator who was born on

October 25, 1927 in Bronxville, New York and died on January 17, 1987, is known for his
contribution to the understanding of the stages of moral development.

The theory of Kohlberg indicates that there are three stages of moral development,
with each stage divided into two phases. Kohlberg proposed that individuals move in a
set order through these stages, and that moral understanding is connected to cognitive
growth. Preconventional, conventional, and postconventional are among the three levels
of moral reasoning.

By 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.

Learning Objective

After completing the lesson, you will be able to:

• Explain and articulate each stage of moral development and recall defining
moments in their moral formation.

Activities

Let’s try this!

Direction: Answer the question below.

1. Compare your moral judgment when you are a kid, teenager or young adult.
How will you describe the differences of your moral judgment in every stage of
your life?

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Prepared by:
Mark M. Gatus & Marck Zaldy O. Camba
Faculty Members, BU Philosophy Department
 TOPIC 4:
L. Kohlberg’s Stages of Moral Development
(Text is written by Cheryl E. Sanders, professor of psychology at Metropolitan State University of Denver.)

Let’s Read!

Lawrence Kohlberg’s stages of moral development,

A comprehensive stage theory of moral development based on Jean Piaget’s

theory of moral judgment for children (1932) and developed by Lawrence Kohlberg in
1958. Cognitive in nature, Kohlberg’s theory focuses on the thinking process that occurs
when one decides whether a behavior is right or wrong. Thus, the theoretical emphasis
is on how one decides to respond to a moral dilemma, not what one decides or what one
actually does.
Kohlberg’s theory, though extremely influential, was based on research that used
only boys as subjects. In the 1980s the theory was criticized by the American
psychologist Carol Gilligan for universalizing patterns of moral development exhibited
by boys and ignoring the distinct patterns characteristic of girls.

Theoretical Framework

The framework of Kohlberg’s theory consists of six stages arranged sequentially in

successive tiers of complexity. He organized his six stages into three general levels of
moral development.

Level 1: Pre-conventional level

At the pre-conventional level, morality is externally controlled. Rules imposed by

authority figures are conformed to in order to avoid punishment or receive rewards. This
perspective involves the idea that what is right is what one can get away with or what is
personally satisfying. Level 1 has two stages.

Stage 1: Punishment/obedience orientation

Behavior is determined by consequences. The individual will obey in

order to avoid punishment.

Stage 2: Instrumental purpose orientation

Behavior is determined again by consequences. The individual focuses on

Prepared by:
Mark M. Gatus & Marck Zaldy O. Camba
Faculty Members, BU Philosophy Department
 receiving rewards or satisfying personal needs.

Level 2: Conventional level

At the conventional level, conformity to social rules remains important to the

individual. However, the emphasis shifts from self-interest to relationships with other
people and social systems. The individual strives to support rules that are set forth by
others such as parents, peers, and the government in order to win their approval or to
maintain social order.

Stage 3: Good Boy/Nice Girl orientation

Behavior is determined by social approval. The individual wants to

maintain or win the affection and approval of others by being a “good
person.”

Stage 4: Law and order orientation

Social rules and laws determine behavior. The individual now takes into
consideration a larger perspective, that of societal laws. Moral decision
making becomes more than consideration of close ties to others. The
individual believes that rules and laws maintain social order that is worth
preserving.

Level 3: Post-conventional or principled level

At the post-conventional level, the individual moves beyond the perspective of his
or her own society. Morality is defined in terms of abstract principles and values that
apply to all situations and societies. The individual attempts to take the perspective of all
individuals.

Stage 5: Social contract orientation

Individual rights determine behavior. The individual views laws and rules
as flexible tools for improving human purposes. That is, given the right
situation, there are exceptions to rules. When laws are not consistent with
individual rights and the interests of the majority, they do not bring about
good for people and alternatives should be considered.

Stage 6: Universal ethical principle orientation

According to Kohlberg, this is the highest stage of functioning. However,

he claimed that some individuals will never reach this level. At this stage,
the appropriate action is determined by one’s self-chosen ethical principles
of conscience. These principles are abstract and universal in application.
This type of reasoning involves taking the perspective of every person or
group that could potentially be affected by the decision.

Prepared by:
Mark M. Gatus & Marck Zaldy O. Camba
Faculty Members, BU Philosophy Department
 Basic Tenets of Kohlberg’s Theory

The numerous studies investigating moral reasoning based on Kohlberg’s theory

have confirmed basic tenets regarding the topic area. Cross-sectional data have shown
that older individuals tend to use higher stages of moral reasoning when compared with
younger individuals, while longitudinal studies report “upward” progression, in
accordance with Kohlberg’s theoretical order of stages. In addition, studies have revealed
that comprehension of the stages is cumulative (e.g., if a person understands stage 3, he
or she understands the lower stages but not necessarily the higher stages), and
comprehension of higher stages is increasingly difficult. Moreover, age trends in moral
development have received cross-cultural support. Lastly, data support the claim that
every individual progress through the same sequence of development; however, the rates
of development will vary.

Measurement of Moral Development

Since the development of Kohlberg’s theory, a number of measurement tools that

purport to measure moral reasoning have been constructed. Kohlberg’s Moral Judgment
Interview (1969) is a rather lengthy structured interview requiring trained interviewers
and scorers. Another instrument is the Defining Issues Test developed by James Rest
(1974). These measures, ranging from projective tests to structured,
objective assessments, all consist of a set of hypothetical stories involving moral
dilemmas.

Learning Output no. 4

INSTRUCTIONS

1. After reading the module, discuss significant ideas you have learned among the
member of the group.
2. Reflect and compose an essay paper to the case written below;

One of the best known of Kohlberg’s (1958) stories for his theory of moral
development concerns a man called Heinz who lived somewhere in Europe.
Heinz’s wife was dying from a particular type of cancer. Doctors said a new drug
might save her. The drug had been discovered by a local chemist, and the Heinz
tried desperately to buy some, but the chemist was charging ten times the
money it cost to make the drug, and this was much more than the Heinz could
afford.
Heinz could only raise half the money, even after help from family and friends.
He explained to the chemist that his wife was dying and asked if he could have
the drug cheaper or pay the rest of the money later.

Prepared by:
Mark M. Gatus & Marck Zaldy O. Camba
Faculty Members, BU Philosophy Department
 The chemist refused, saying that he had discovered the drug and was going to
make money from it. The husband was desperate to save his wife, so later that
night he broke into the chemist’s and stole the drug.

If you are in Heinz’s situation, what will you do?

Explain and analyze your answer using Kohlberg’s theory of stages of moral
development.

3. Collaborate and brainstorm among your group members the situation given and
compose a 400 to 1000 words essay. If you have conflicting opinions and
disagreements, make sure that you will discuss them and decide who has a sound
or better opinion before writing the essay paper.
4. In writing, use Tahoma, Arial, or Times New Roman font style and use font size
12. Write your reflection paper on a short bond paper with a margin of 1 inch on
each side, single spacing.
5. Do not forget to write the members of the group. Write the name of the members
in alphabetical order. Take note that members of the group whose name is not
written will not earn any points from the score of the group.
6. After, turn-in your essay paper in our google classroom on or before the set
deadline of submission.

References

McLeod, Saul. Kohlberg’s Stages of Moral Development.

https://www.simplypsychology.org/kohlberg.html

Sanders, Cheryl E. Kohlberg’s Theory of Moral Development.

https://www.britannica.com/science/Lawrence-Kohlbergs-stages-of-moral-development

Prepared by:
Mark M. Gatus & Marck Zaldy O. Camba
Faculty Members, BU Philosophy Department