Kohlberg

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Kohlbergs Theory of Moral Development

• Learning Object for INSYS 448
• By
• Becca Pangborn

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In this tutorial, you will

• Learn Kohlbergs seven stages of moral
  development
• Explore how to apply this theory to William
  Goldings novel Lord of the Flies
• Explore the relationship of these stages to your
  life experience

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Proceed through the tutorial by clicking on the
following links

• Whats this all about?
• Learn Kohlbergs Seven Stages
• Progress Activity
• Play the Moral Development Game
• Final Assessment

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Whats this all about?

• Visit the following link and read ONLY the first
  section entitled The Heinz Dilemma, thinking
  about the italicized questions as you read
• http//www.vtaide.com/png/Kohlberg.htm

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Kohlbergs Seven StagesClick on the links to
learn about each stage

• Pre-Conventional Moral Development
• Stage 0
• Stage 1
• Stage 2
• Conventional Moral Development
• Stage 3
• Stage 4
• Post-Conventional Moral Development
• Stage 5
• Stage 6
• Stage 7
• Information from these pages was copied from a
  school handout, author unknown.

BACK (BACK TO FINAL ASSESSMENT)
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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 anyones needs other
  than those that are self-serving)
• Does what he/she wants to do
• Is amoral
• 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

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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

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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

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Stage 3

• At 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 anothers shoes
  and think from another perspective
• May continue to be in this stage until him/her
  has reached the 20s in age
• BACK

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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

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Stage 5

• At 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

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Stage 6

• At 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

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Stage 7

• At 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 worlds sense of justice I.e. moral level BACK

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Progress ActivityPrint and complete this chart
after thinking about the seven stages and submit
to teacher
Character Stage (0-7) Rationale (with two quotes as evidence)
Piggy
Jack
Ralph
Simon
Roger
BACK
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Play the Moral Development Game!

• DIRECTIONS
• Play the game by clicking on this link
  http//www.dushkin.com/connectext/psy/ch03/kohlber
  g.mhtml
• Write a brief summary of your experience with the
  game and email it to your teacher
  (rmp15_at_scasd.org)
• BACK

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Final Assessment

• DIRECTIONS
• Reflect on all you have learned about Kohlbergs
  Moral Development Theory
• Consider events and decisions you have made in
  your own life.
• Place yourself within one of Kohlbergs Moral
  Development stages (To see the stages again,
  click here)
• Write a two-page paper about the stage you
  believe you are currently in and why. Use
  situations and evidence from your experience to
  support your claim.
• Email your paper to your teacher
  (rmp15_at_scasd.org)
• CONGRATULATIONS! You have finished this
  tutorial!