Kohlberg's Identifiable Stages

Kohlberg’s theory of moral development states that moral reasoning, the basis for ethical behavior, has six identifiable stages. Kohlberg claimed morality and logic developed through six consecutive stages and the process continues throughout an individual’s lifetime. The six stages of moral development are grouped into three levels. Each stage asks a different question that will guide the development of the individual. As a result of Kohlberg’s research an entirely new field of Psychology was created.

The first level is Pre-Conventional, which is comprised of the stages of obedience and self-interest. Obedience asks the question how can the individual avoid punishment. This stage is focused on the consequences of the individual’s direct actions.

This is where an individual chooses what is in their best interest and asks the very popular question “what’s in it for me”. Stage two cares very little of others opinion or interest. There is an exception, the individual may partake in an activity if something of equal value will be done in return. This stage doesn’t care how much respect or how loyal the other person deserves. Self-Interest is just that, serving the individuals needs and wants. For example, when I was younger my mother would ask me to wash the dishes and I would respond with the ever so famous line, “What’s in it for me?”. My mother would then give me an incentive, my weekly allowance. From then on I became self-motivated to wash the dishes because of the

In this stage moral reasoning is beyond individual approval. The right thing to do is to follow the set laws. When an individual voluntarily, or in some cases involuntarily, brakes the laws society sees it as morally wrong. In this stage the individual must separate the bad from the good, lowering the desire to violate a law broken by another individual. There is an unspoken duty accepted by all the people to uphold the law and rules. Some people break those laws but society looks at them as an individual with a bad morality. For example, every day I decide to not steal. For 19 years I’ve decided to follow the law and realize stealing is morally