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Chapter 16
Kohlberg’s
theory of
moral
reasoning
Chapter overview
 The cognitive developmental
approach
 Piaget’s Influence
 Kohlberg’s stages of moral
development
 Critiques of Kohlberg’s theory
A comparison between
Piaget and Kohlberg
Piaget
Kohlberg
A two-stage model
A three-level, six-stage
model
Progression from
heteronomous
moral reasoning
Progression from
preconventional morality
to
to
Conventional morality
Autonomous
moral reasoning
to
Postconventional morality
Piaget’s two-stages of moral
reasoning
Stage 1:
Stage 2:
Heteronomous moral
reasoning
Autonomous moral
reasoning

strict adherence to
rules and duties

consider rules
critically

obedience to authority

selectively apply rules

rules are fixed and
absolute

based on goals of
mutual respect &
cooperation
Kohlberg’s stages of
moral reasoning
Level 1: Preconventional
or premoral morality


Stage 1:
Stage 2:
Obedience
and
punishment
orientation
Individualism,
instrumental
purpose,
and
exchange
Level 2: Conventional
or role conformity morality


Stage 3:
Stage 4:
Mutual interpersonal
expectations,
relationships, and
interpersonal
conformity
Social system
and
conscience
(Good-boy/good-girl
orientation)
(authority and
social-order
maintaining)
Level 3: Postconventional
or principled morality


Stage 5:
Stage 6:
Social contract
or
utility and
individual rights
Universal ethical
principles
Critiques of
Kohlberg’s theory
 Methodological concerns
 Invariance of sequence of stages
 Cross-cultural universality
 Gilligan’s critique of ‘justice
reasoning’
 Relationship between moral
reasoning and action
Components of moral behaviour
(Rest, 1983; 1986)
1. Moral sensitivity
(interpretation of the situation)
2. Moral judgement
(what ought to be done in the situation)
3. Moral motivation
(selection of a value or domain or motive)
4. Moral character
(execution & implementation of intention - as
conceptualised in terms of #3)