Moral Reasoning Kohlberg’s 6 Stages

Lawrence Kohlberg Developed 6 stages of Moral Reasoning Moral Reasoning is what beliefs or motives we use to make decisions.

Stage 1 Punishment-Avoidance and Obedience Age Range: Seen mostly in pre-school children and lower levels of elementary. Definition of Stage 1: They avoid behaviors that will cause them to be punished. They do not consider the feelings or consequences of others.

Stage 2 Exchange of Favors Age Range: Seen mostly lower levels of elementary. Definition of Stage 2: They will only do something if they believe they will be rewarded for it. This causes reward dependency. Story about the horse and the carrot and the race

Stage 3 Good boy/girl Age Range: Seen in higher levels of elementary, and maybe some in high school. Definition of Stage 3: People do something just to look good in front of others or impress the popular kids or an authority figure.

Stage 4 Law and Order Age Range: Seen in high school students and many adults. Definition of Stage 4: People understand that laws are their to protect them and obeying them is the best way to ensure safety among their community. This you usually the highest that most people achieve, it is the most common Stage of Moral Reasoning

Stage 5 Social Contract / Individual Rights Age Range: Rarely seen before college and is rare for adults. Definition of Stage 5: Rules are seen as useful to maintain social order and protect individual rights rather than being obeyed simply because they are “the law.”

Stage 6 Universal Ethical Principle Age Range: Rarely seen before college and is rare for adults. Definition of Stage 6: People agree to principles (e.g. equality of all people), but are willing to disobey the law if it means obeying their principles. Few people ever achieve this stage Henry David Thoreau

Moral Reasoning Dilemma #1 Two brothers, had got into serious trouble. They were secretly leaving town in a hurry and needed money. Karl, the older one, broke into a store and stole a thousand dollars. Bob, the younger one, went to a retired old man who was known to help people in town. He told the man that he was very sick and that he needed a thousand dollars to pay for an operation. Bob asked the old man to lend him the money and promised that he would pay him back when he recovered. Really Bob wasn't sick at all, and he had no intention of paying the man back. Although the old man didn't know Bob very well, he lent him the money. So Bob and Karl skipped town, each with a thousand dollars.

Moral Reasoning Dilemma #1 1a. Which is worse, stealing like Karl or cheating like Bob?1b. Why is that worse? 2. What do you think is the worst thing about cheating the old man? 2a. why is that the worst thing? 3. In general, why should a promise be kept? 4. Is it important to keep a promise to someone you don't know well or will never see again? 4a. Why or why not?

Moral Reasoning Dilemma #3 The Heinz Dilemma In Europe, a woman was near death from cancer. There was one drug that the doctors thought might save her. 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 cure 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 way, 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.

Moral Reasoning Dilemma #3 The Heinz Dilemma 1. Should Heinz steal the drug? Why or why not? 2. Is it actually right or wrong for him to steal the drug? 2a. Why is it right or wrong? 3. Does Heinz have a duty or obligation to steal the drug? Why or why not? 4. If Heinz doesn't love his wife, should he steal the drug for her? Does it make a difference in what Heinz should do whether or not he loves his wife? Why or why not? 5. Suppose the person dying is not his wife but a stranger. Should Heinz steal the drug for the stranger? Why or why not? 6. Suppose it's a pet animal he loves. should Heinz steal to save the pet animal? Why or why not?

Moral Stages and Success Stage 1: 70% of adults end up in jail. Stage 2: 62% of adults end up in jail. Stage 3: 22% of adults end up in jail. Stage 4: 8% of adults end up in jail. (Where most adults are) Stage 5: 2% of adults end up in jail. Stage 6: 7% of adults end up in jail. Stage 1 & 2: Most people will be unemployed, in prison, or dependent on financial aid. Stage 3 & 4: Many people will be in middle class jobs including middle management positions. Stage 5: People end up being management (bosses). Stage 6: These people are often revolutionaries or end up being leaders (Mandela, Ghandi, Mother Teresa)