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KOLHBERGS THEORY

OF MORAL

DEVELOPMENT

By: Sienna Marie D. Cabrera BSN - III

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Kolhberg has focused on moral

development and has proposed a stage

theory of moral thinking which goeswell beyond Piaget's initial formulations.

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Everyone goes through the stages

sequentially without skipping any stage.

However, movement through these stages

are not natural, that is people do notautomatically move from one stage to the

next as they mature.

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KOLHBERGS SIX

STAGES OFMORAL MATURITY

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Kolhbergs Six Stages Of Moral Maturity

Pre-conventional Morality

1. Obedience Punishment Orientation

2. Personal Reward Orientation

Conventional Morality3. The good boy/good girl Orientation

4. The Law and Order Orientation

Post-conventional Morality5. Social Contract Orientation6. Conscience Orientation

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Pre conventional Morality

Kolhbergs Six Stages Of Moral Maturity

I. Obedience

Punishment

Orientation

The person's behavior is mainly

governed by deference to superior

power.

He doesnt question this power, hisconcern is to avoid (physical)

punishment.

Physical effects of an action determine

whether its good or bad act.

II. Personal

RewardOrientation

In this stage, a person is

slightly more developed. He

considers right action to be

anything that satisfies hispersonal needs, or sometimes

the needs of others.

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Conventional Morality

Kolhbergs Six Stages Of Moral Maturity

III. The good

boy/good girl

Orientation

At the conventional level, the personsbehavior is oriented toward pleasingothers.

His concern is finding acceptance.He seeks approval by being nice.

The important rule of behavior for theperson in this level is his intention.

IV. A Law

and Order

Orientation

The persons behavior in this levelfocuses on doing ones duty.

He is loyal to existing authority.

He obeys the laws and promoteskeeping the established order.

He finds self-respect in fulfilling hisobligations.

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Post - Conventional Morality

Kolhbergs Six Stages Of Moral Maturity

V. SocialContract

Orientation

The person begins to describe right action interms of what society has critically examinedand agreed to.

The person carries with him some of his stagefour sensitivities about ones duty toward thesystem.

But now he works not simply to maintainstatus quo: he may work to change the law forthe sake of the society.

The person is aware of the fact that people holda variety of values and opinions.

Aside from what the majority hasdemocratically agreed upon, right or wrongbehavior is a matter of personal opinion.

In this stage, the persons level of moralthinking is oriented toward majority rule, buthis rule is not frozen as in the stage fourpersons disposition.

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Post - Conventional Morality

Kolhbergs Six Stages Of Moral Maturity

VI.Conscience

Orientation

In this stage, the person makes decisions ofconscience and is guided by self chosenethical principle.

He holds these principles even if it meansgoing against the rule of the majority.

The person operates according to theuniversal ethical principles of justice,equality of human life, and respect for thedignity of human being as individual

person.The person in this level, is guided mainlyby ethical principles in contract to concretemoral rules such as those spelled out buythe Ten Commandments.

The person has become progressivelydisentangled from property values or socialstanding. This person shows the greatestcapacity for moral behavior.

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Post - Conventional Morality

Kolhbergs Six Stages Of Moral Maturity

VI.Conscience

Orientation

In this stage, the person makes decisions ofconscience and is guided by self chosenethical principle.

He holds these principles even if it meansgoing against the rule of the majority.

The person operates according to theuniversal ethical principles of justice,equality of human life, and respect for thedignity of human being as individual

person.The person in this level, is guided mainlyby ethical principles in contract to concretemoral rules such as those spelled out buythe Ten Commandments.

The person has become progressively

disentangled from property values or socialstanding. This person shows the greatestcapacity for moral behavior.

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Pre-conventional Morality

I will do what I am supposed to do in order to avoidpunishment.

Conventional Morality

I will do what I a supposed to do as things work out betterwhen everyone follows the rules.

Post-conventional Morality

I will do (or wont do) what I am supposed to do because Ithink ( or dont think) it is the right thing to do.