Kohlberg’s Theory of Moral Development

Kohlberg’s Moral Dilemma • In Europe, a woman was near death from a special kind of cancer.

There was one drug that the doctors thought might save her. It was a form of radium that a druggist in the same town had recently discovered. the drug was expensive to make, but the druggist was charging ten times what the drug cost him to make. He paid $400 for the radium and charged $4,000 for a small dose of the drug. The sick woman's husband, Heinz, went to everyone he knew to borrow the money and tried every legal means, but he could only get together about $2,000, which is half of what it cost. He told the druggist that his wife was dying, and asked him to sell it cheaper or let him pay later. But the druggist said, "No, I discovered the drug and I'm going to make money from if." So, having tried every legal means, Heinz gets desperate and considers breaking into the man's store to steal the drug for his wife.

Kohlberg’s Seven StagesClick on the links to learn about each stage

Pre-Conventional Moral Development Stage 0 Stage 1 Stage 2Conventional Moral Development Stage 3 Stage 4Post-Conventional Moral Development Stage 5 Stage 6 Stage 7

Stage 0

At this stage, the individual:• Avoids pain and seeks pleasure• Has no sense of obligation to anyone else• Is self-absorbed (unaware or anyone’s needs other

than those that are self-serving)• Does what he/she wants to do• Is immoral• Is totally egocentric in assuming that the world

revolves around his/her needs and desires• Has thus no sense of cause-effect• Is typically between the ages of 0-7 BACK

Stage 1

At this stage, the individual:• Obeys rules in order to avoid punishment• Determines a sense of right and wrong by what is

punished and what is not punished• Obeys superior authority and allows that authority to

make the rules, especially if that authority has the power to inflict pain

• Is responsive to rules that will affect his/her physical well-being

• Is usually over the age of 7

BACK

Stage 2

At this stage, the individual:• Is motivated by vengeance or “an eye for an eye”

philosophy• Is self-absorbed while assuming that he/she is

generous• Believes in equal sharing in that everyone gets the

same, regardless of need• Believes that the end justifies the means• Will do a favor only to get a favor• Expects to be rewarded for every non-selfish deed

he/she does• Is usually over the age of 10 BACK

Stage 3At this stage, the individual:• Finds peer approval very important• Makes moral decisions on the basis of what will please a

limited group and make the person feel included• Thus models behavior on that of the “majority” which is

the behavior of the “in crowd” or peer group• Feels that intensions are as important as deeds and expects

others to accept intentions or promises in place of deeds• Begins to put himself/herself in another’s shoes and think

from another perspective• May continue to be in this stage until him/her has reached

the 20s in age BACK

Stage 4

At this stage, the individual:• Continues past actions and behaviors in tradition

since the maintenance of law and order is supremely important

• Is a duty doer who believes in rigid rules that should not be changed

• Respects authority and obeys it without question• Supports the rights of the majority or majority rule

without concern for those in the minority• Is part of about 80% of the population that does not

progress past stage 4 BACK

Stage 5At this stage, the individual:• Is motivated by the belief in the greatest amount of

good for the greatest number of people• Believes in contracts in which both parties compromise

and yet both receive benefits• Believes in consensus (everyone agrees), rather than in

majority rule• Respects the rights of the minority especially the rights

of the individual• Believes that change in the law is possible but only

through the system• Has reached the same stage as the official morality of

the nation BACK

Stage 6At this stage, the individual:• Loses the ability to compromise high principles and thus may

forfeit his/her life in order to uphold them• Believes that there are high moral principles than those

represented by social rules and customs• Obeys these self-chosen high moral principles• Is willing to accept the consequences for disobedience of the

social rule he/she has rejected • Uses only passive resistance and has no use for violence in

any form• Believes in granting justice and dignity to all human beings as

inalienable human rights• Respects justice for its moral nature and its legal nature• Believes that the dignity of humanity is sacred and that all

humans have value BACK

Stage 7At this stage, the individual:• Is a “seeker of justice in an unjust world”• Has a cosmic perspective of life• Neglects any consideration for self• Focuses not on the individual but on the whole, a view

of self as part of the infinite whole and not as an individual part that is significant

• Thus is plagued with despair and sees a world of woe that he/she is inadequate to repair

• Possesses an altruism that is difficult for the world to comprehend and consequently his/her forgiveness and compassion often runs afoul of the world’s sense of justice I.e. moral level BACK