Lawrence Kohlberg’s Stages of Moral Development
| Level | Stage | Average Age | Characteristic Moral Reasoning That May Influence Behavior |
|---|---|---|---|
| Preconventional (premoral) | 1. Orientation to punishment and obedience | Preschool through early school age | Finding it difficult to consider two points of view in a moral dilemma, individual ignores, or is unaware of meaning, value, or intentions of others and instead focuses on fear of authority. Will avoid punishment by obeying what told to do by caregiver/supervisor. The physical consequences of individual actions determine "right" or "wrong." Punishment means action was "wrong." |
| 2. Orientation to instrumental relativism ( individual purpose) | Late preschool through late school age | Slowly becoming aware that people can have different perspectives in a moral dilemma. Individual views "right" action as what satisfies personal needs and believes others act out of self-interest. No true feelings of loyalty, justice, or gratitude. Individual conforms to rules out of self-interest or in relation to what others can do in return. Desires reward for "right" action. | |
| Conventional (maintain external expectations of others) | 3. Orientation to interpersonal concordance (unity and mutuality) | School age through adulthood | Attempting to adhere to perceived norms; desires to maintain approval and affection of friends, relatives, and significant others. Wants to avoid disapproval and be considered a "good person" who is trustworthy, loyal, respectful, and helpful. Capable of viewing a two-person relationship as an impartial observer (beginning to judge the intentions of others-may or may not be correct in doing so) |
| 4. Orientation to maintenance of social order ("law and order") | Adolescence through adulthood | Attempting to make decisions and behave by strictly conforming to fixed rules and the written law-whether these be of a certain group, family, community, or the nation. "Right" consists of "doing one’s duty." | |
| Postconventional (maintain internal principles of self-Piaget’s concept of formal operations must be employed at this level) | 5. Orientation to social contract legalism | Middlescence through older adulthood (only 10%-20% of the dominant American culture attains this stage) | Regarding rules and laws as changeable with due process. "Right" is respecting individual rights while emphasizing the needs of the majority. Outside of legal realm, will honor an obligation to another individual or group, even if the action is not necessarily viewed as the correct thing to do by friends, relatives, or numerous others |
| 6. Orientation to universal ethical principlea | Middlescence through older adulthood (few people either attain or maintain this stage) | Making decisions and behaving based on internalized rules, on conscience instead of social law and on self-chosen ethical principles that are consistent, comprehensive, and universal. Believes in absolute justice, human equality, reciprocity, and respect for the dignity of every individual person. Willing to act alone and be punished (or actually die) for belief. Such behavior may be seen in times of crisis |
aShortly before his death, Kohlberg added a seventh stage of moral reasoning titled Orientation to Self-Transcendence and Faith. Kohlberg proposed that this stage moved beyond the concept of justice; the goal was to achieve a sense of unity with the cosmos, nature, or God. The person attaining this stage views everyone and everything as being connected; thus, any action of a person affects everyone and everything with any consequences of that person’s action ultimately returning to him. According to Garsee and Schuster (1992), the person in stage 6 may be willing to die for their principles, whereas the person in stage 7 is willing to live for their beliefs.