Kohlberg’s Stages of Moral

Development
 Lawrence Kohlberg
• Born : October 25 1927
(Bronxville, New York)
• Died : January 19 1987
(Winthrop,
Massachusetts)
• Age of 59, Suicide
• (October 25, 1927-January 19, 1987) Was an
American Psychology best known for his
theory of stages of moral development. He
served as a professor in the Psychology
Department at the University of Chicago and
at the Graduate School of Education at
Harvard University.
 Stages of moral development.
• The theory holds that moral reasoning, the
basis for ethical behavior, has six identifiable
development stages, each ore adequate at
responding to moral dilemmas than its
predecessor.
• Kohlberg followed the development of moral
judgment far beyond the ages studied earlier
by Piaget.
• Level 1 (Pre-Conventional)
1. Obedience and punishment orientation.
2. Self-interestorientation.
• Level 2 (Conventional)
3. Interpersonal accord and conformity.
(Social Norms, The good boy\girl attitude)
4. Authority and social-order maintaining orientataion.
(Law and order morality)
• Level 3 (Post-Conventional)
5. Social Contract Orientation.
6. Universal ethical principles.
(Principled Conscience)