Moral development is the development of a person’s “Sense of Justice”. According to psychologist Lawrence Kohlberg, every person has three levels of moral development. Each level again has two stages. The three levels of Kohlberg’s moral development and their stages are as follows:
Level-1, Pre-Moral or, Pre-Conventional Morality (Age-04 to 10 years)
Stage-1 – The Stage of Obedience for Avoiding Punishment.
Stage-2 – The Stage of Conforming to Obtain Rewards and Favors in Return.
Level-2, Conventional Morality (age 10 to 13 years)
Stage-3 – The Stage of Maintaining Mutual Relations and Approval of Others.
Stage-4 – The Stage of Obedience for Avoiding Censure by Higher Authority or Social Systems.
Level-3, Post Conventional Morality (age 13 or, during late adulthood)
Stage-5 – The Stage of Conforming to Democratically Accepted Laws and Conduct for the Community Welfare.
Stage-6 – The Stage of Conforming to the Universal Ethical Principles and the Call of One’s Conscience.
Let us discuss the above mentioned levels and stages of moral development.
Table of Contents
Level-1, Pre-Moral or, Pre-Conventional Morality (Age-04 to 10 years)
The first level of Kohlberg’s theory of moral development is the Pre-Moral Level. It is also called as Pre-Conventional Morality. The duration of this level usually extends from 4 years to 10 years of age of the individuals. At this level the child begins to judge right and wrong or, good and bad things, which are externally controlled.
This level consists of two stages. They are – “The Stage of Obedience for Avoiding Punishment” and “The Stage of Conforming to Obtain Rewards and Favors in Return”. These two stages are identified as the first stage or stage-1 and the second stage or stage-2 of Kohlberg’s theory of moral development of the individual, respectively.
Stage-1 – The Stage of Obedience for Avoiding Punishment.
The first stage or stage -1 of this level is “The Stage of Obedience for Avoiding Punishment”. This stage has also been termed as “The Stage of Orientation towards Punishment and Obedience”. At this stage children only follow the rules to avoid punishment.
Stage-2 – The Stage of Conforming to Obtain Rewards and Favors in Return.
The second stage or stage -2 of this level is “The Stage of Conforming to Obtain Rewards and Favors in Return”. This stage has also been termed as “The stage of self interest orientation”. At this stage, the moral judgment of children depends on self-interest and consideration of what others can do for them in return.
Level-2, Conventional Morality (age 10 to 13 years)
The second level of Kohlberg’s theory of moral development is Conventional Morality. The duration of this level is usually from 10 to 13 years of age. At this level the morality of the child depends on the prevailing rules and regulations and the law and order system maintained in the society. For example, theft is judged as crime by children because it is considered wrong by society and the legal system.
This level of morality has two stages. The two stages are known as the third stage or stage-3 and the fourth stage or stage-4 of Kohlberg’s moral development respectively.
Stage-3 – The Stage of Maintaining Mutual Relations and Approval of Others.
The first stage of this level, or the third stage of moral development, is described as “Stage of Maintaining Mutual Relations and Approval of Others”. This stage is also referred to as “The Stage of Good Interpersonal Relationships or, The Stage of Social Conformity Orientation”. At this stage the moral judgment of the child depends on the willingness to obtain approval of others. For this purpose children want to be “Good” people and maintain good relationships with others.
Stage-4 – The Stage of Obedience for Avoiding Censure by Higher Authority or Social Systems.
The second stage of this level, or the fourth stage of moral development, is described as “The Stage of Obedience for Avoiding Censure by Higher Authority or Social Systems”. This stage is also called “Stage of Law and Order Orientation”. At this stage the moral judgment of children is governed by customary customs, rules and laws of society. Because of this they now abide by the rules and regulations of society and to avoid condemnation of elders, authorities or social system, they decide on certain things which may be right or wrong.
Level-3, Post Conventional Morality (age 13 or, during late adulthood)
The third and final level of Kohlberg’s theory of moral development is Post-Conventional Morality. This level is seen when a person is 13 years old or towards the end of adulthood. This is the highest level of morality in Kohlberg’s theory of moral development. At this level of morality, the individual’s own morality and set of morals are created. Based on this morality, individuals and people conduct their own behavior.
This level, like the previous level, is divided into two stages. They are known as the fifth stage or stage-5 and the sixth stage or stage-6 of the moral development, respectively.
The first stage of this level is the fifth stage of Kohlberg’s theory of moral development and the second stage of this level is the sixth and final stage of Kohlberg’s theory of moral development.
Stage-5 – The Stage of Conforming to Democratically Accepted Laws and Conduct for the Community Welfare.
The first stage of the Post-Conventional Morality Level Or, the fifth stage of Kohlberg’s theory of morality, has been described as “The Stage of Conforming to Democratically Accepted Laws and Conduct for the Community Welfare”. This stage is also called “The Stage of Social Contract Orientation Stage”.
At this stage the moral judgment of the individual is restrained on legitimacy. The person, at this stage, begins to think logically. They value human rights and the welfare of society. At this stage, the opinion of the people is that when a law is not compatible with the rights of the person, then its alternative should be considered.
Stage-6 – The Stage of Conforming to the Universal Ethical Principles and the Call of One’s Conscience.
The second stage of the Post-Conventional Morality Level Or, the sixth stage of Kohlberg’s theory of morality is described as “The Stage of Conforming to the Universal Ethical Principles and the Call of One’s Conscience”. This stage is also called as “The Stage of Universal Ethics Orientation”.
At this stage, the moral judgment of individuals is based on their conscience and the principles of universal moral belief, such as respect, justice and equality. At this stage people do what they think is right, even if it creates a conflict with the law. They act according to the inner voice of their conscience and at this stage they live without guilt or shame.
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