LESSON 3

LAWRENCE KOLHBERG’S
STAGES OF MORAL DEVELOPMENT

Objectives
At the end of this lesson, you are expected to:
 synthesize the concept of Kohlberg’s Stages of Moral
Development;
 apply Kohlberg’s Stages of Moral Development to
scenarios presenting moral dilemmas; and
 positively regard the importance of Kohlberg’s Stages
of Moral Development in analyzing the ethical
behaviors of people.
Introduction

Welcome to Lesson 3! This lesson introduces you to the Stages of Moral

Development by Lawrence Kohlberg. In this lesson, you are assumed to apply the
Moral Development Stages to your life scenarios presenting moral dilemmas. This
lesson will also helps you analyze ethical behaviors of people. Enjoy this lesson and
keep reading!

The Heinz Dilemma

Scenario 1:
A woman was on her deathbed. There is a drug that might save her. The drug
costs $2,000 per dosage. The sick woman's husband, Heinz, went to everyone he
knew to borrow the money and tried every legal means, but he could only get
together about $1,000. He asked the doctor scientist who discovered the drug for
a discount or let him pay later. But the doctor scientist refused.

Question: Should Heinz break into the laboratory to steal the drug for his
wife? Why or why not?
Heinz should break into the laboratory to steal the drug. His wife’s life
is far more important than even Heinz’ life. True love is being selfless.
 The Heinz Dilemma
Scenario 2:
Heinz broke into the laboratory and stole the drug. The next day, the newspapers
reported the break-in and theft. Brown, a police officer and a friend of Heinz,
remembered seeing Heinz the evening prior to the theft behaving suspiciously
near the laboratory. On the night of the theft, he remembered seeing Heinz
running away from the laboratory.

Question: Should Brown report what he witnessed? Why or why not?

Brown should report what he witnessed. As a police officer, it is his
duty to maintain peace and order in the community. Theft is a crime and all
its angles must be looked into.

The Heinz Dilemma

Scenario 3:
Officer Brown reported what he saw. Heinz was arrested and brought to court. If
convicted, he faces up to two years' jail time. Heinz was found guilty.

Question: Should the judge sentence Heinz to prison? Why or why not?
Yes, the judge should sentence Heinz to prison. Regardless of whatever
Heinz’ motives where, theft is a crime. Therefore, the accused should serve his
time in jail. It is also the judge’s duty to bring justice.

Analysis

Consider the questions below:

1. What is the basis for the reasoning on The Heinz Dilemma in the Punishment-
Obedience Orientation of Kohlberg’s Stages of Moral Development?
The basis is the perception that rules are fixed and absolute.
Disobeying the rules results in punishment. If Heinz steals the cure
then he is disobeying the rules which will then result in punishment.
2. What is the basis for the reasoning on The Heinz Dilemma in the Instrumental-
Relativist Orientation of Kohlberg’s Stages of Moral Development?
The basis here is that personal needs determine right or wrong.
Stealing the cure will heal Heinz’ wife. If Heinz wife is Heinz’ priority
then he will steal the cure. By stealing the cure, Heinz’ is rewarded of his
wife’s life.

3. What is the basis for the reasoning on The Heinz Dilemma in the Interpersonal
Concordance Orientation of Kohlberg’s Stages of Moral Development?
The basis here is wanting to win others’ approval and expectations.
Heinz will steal the cure for it is expected of a good and loving husband to
do anything to save his wife’s life.

4. What is the basis for the reasoning on The Heinz Dilemma in the Society-
Maintaining Orientation of Kohlberg’s Stages of Moral Development?
The basis here is maintaining law and order by following the rules,
doing one’s duty and respecting authority. His wife will benefit
because he did his husbandly duty but he shall be punished for
committing the crime of theft.

5. What is the basis for the reasoning on The Heinz Dilemma in the Social Contract
Legalistic Orientation of Kohlberg’s Stages of Moral Development?
The basis here is that right action tends to be defined in terms of
general individual rights and standards. Heinz’ wife’s life is far
more important than material property.
6. What is the basis for the reasoning on The Heinz Dilemma in the Universal
Ethics Principle Orientation of Kohlberg’s Stages of Moral Development?
The basis here is that rights are defined by the decision of people’s
conscience in accord with self-chosen ethical principles that appeal to
logical comprehensiveness, universality, and consistency. There may
be other sick people who also need the cure.

Abstraction
 Kohlberg’s Stages of Moral Development

Kohlberg’s Stages of Moral Development was developed through his doctoral

dissertation at the University of Chicago. He completed his doctoral degree in 1958.
Kohlberg established his theory through a series of questions asked of 10 to 16-year-
old subjects.
 He presented them a moral dilemma by utilizing The Heinz Dilemma.
 He asked them questions to draw out their emotions regarding the
situation.
 He asked them what course of action the character should take, and why.
 Through this process, he established the Stages of Moral Development.

Kohlberg's Theory of Moral Reasoning is a stage theory.

 everyone goes through the stages sequentially without skipping any stage.
 movement is effected when a person notices inadequacies in his or her
present way of coping with a given moral dilemma.
 movement through these stages are not natural; people do not
automatically move from one stage to the next as they mature.

Kohlberg’s theory posits that moral reasoning, an essential requisite for ethical
behavior, has 3 levels, with two stages at each level. Kohlberg hypothesized that
every stage is more sufficient at reacting to moral dilemmas than the stages prior to
it.

LEVEL 1: PRE-CONVENTIONAL Morality

Stage 1 Punishment-Obedience Orientation

This is the stage that all young children start at (and a few
adults remain in).

Rules are seen as being fixed and absolute. Obeying the rules
is important because it means avoiding punishment. A good or
bad action is determined by its physical consequences.

Stage 2 Instrumental-Relativist Orientation

(Individualism, Self-Interest, and Exchange)

Decisions are made based on the principle of "What's in it for

me?”, meaning, personal needs determine right or wrong.
Choosing to do what is right is a matter of satisfying one’s
own needs.
 For example, a child might reason: "If I do what mom or dad
wants me to do, they will reward me. Therefore, I will do it."

LEVEL 2: CONVENTIONAL Morality

Stage 3 Interpersonal Concordance Orientation

(Social Conformity, "Good Boy/Nice Girl")

There is a sense of what "good boys" and "nice girls" do.

Being “good” and “nice” is important. An individual wants to
win the approval of others and maintain the expectations of
others.

The emphasis is on living up to social expectations and norms

because of how they impact day-to-day relationships.

Stage 4 Society-Maintaining Orientation

(Law and Order)

An individual is oriented toward authority, fixed rules, and the

maintenance of the social order.

The focus is on maintaining law and order by following the

rules, doing one's duty and respecting authority.

LEVEL 3: POST-CONVENTIONAL Morality

Stage 5 Social Contract Legalistic Orientation

Right action tends to be defined in terms of general individual

rights and standards that have been critically examined and
agreed upon by the whole society.

Laws are really just a social contract based on majority

decision and inevitable compromise. There is a clear
awareness of the relativism of personal values and opinions
and a corresponding emphasis upon procedural rules for
reaching consensus.

People at this stage sometimes disobey rules if they find them

to be inconsistent with their personal values.

People will also argue for certain laws to be changed if they

are no longer "working".
 Stage 6 Universal Ethics Orientation
(Principled Conscience)

At this stage, rights are defined by the decision of people’s

conscience in accord with self-chosen ethical principles that
appeal to logical comprehensiveness, universality, and
consistency. At heart, these are universal principles of justice,
equality of the human rights, and respect for the dignity of
human beings as individual persons.

Application

Instructions:
1. Refer to the scenarios in Heinz Dilemma.
Please fill in the following matrix on Kohlberg’s Stages of Moral Development.
The First Stage is given as a format.
2. Each reason should be given in only one sentence of NOT more than 25 words.
3. Each Scenario will be accorded 20 points each. The reason for the action for
each Stage will be rated as follows:
a. Instrumental-Relativist : 2 points
b. Interpersonal Concordance : 2 points
c. Society-Maintaining : 4 points
d. Social Contract : 6 points
e. Universal Ethics Principle : 6 points

Scenario 1
Level Stage Heinz SHOULD Heinz SHOULD
STEAL the drug NOT STEAL the
because drug because
Punishment- he might be caught if he doesn't, his wife
Obedience and sent to jail. might scold him.
He will be much Prison experience
PRE-
happier for his wife might be more
CONVENTIONAL Instrumental-
will live even if he horrifying than
Relativist
goes to prison mourning his wife

CONVENTIONAL Interpersonal His wife will be He will become a

Concordance grateful and consider criminal and will be
him a loving husband scorned by society
 If he steals he should He will not steal and
accept the be a law abiding
Society-
punishment due him citizen
Maintaining
as prescribed by law

His wife has a right to The scientist should

live and the value of be paid fair
life is way above law compensation for his
Social discovery. Even if his
Contract wife is sick, he
violated the
POST-
scientist’s right to fair
CONVENTIONAL
compensation
Saving a human life He is still depriving
Universal is far more valuable the scientist his fair
Ethics than the property compensation and
Principle rights of another other sick people the
benefit of the cure

Scenario 2
Level Stage Brown SHOULD Brown SHOULD
REPORT NOT REPORT
what he witnessed what he witnessed
because because
he might be if he does, Heinz
Punishment-
suspended if others might fight with him.
Obedience
found out.
PRE-
He will be rewarded He will be happy to
CONVENTIONAL
Instrumental- for apprehending a know that he saved
Relativist fugitive his friend from prison
life
His boss will be His friend Heinz will
Interpersonal
pleased be pleased
Concordance
CONVENTIONAL He did his duty by He should accept the
Society- maintaining social penalty for being a
Maintaining order hindrance to justice.

POST- Social It is the people’s right He should give Heinz

CONVENTIONAL Contract to know the truth and a chance to explain
for justice to be himself before
served turning him to the
authorities
 Justice should be He is depriving Heinz
Universal
served specially if the of a chance to explain
Ethics
witness is a police himself as his friend
Principle
officer

Scenario 3
Level Stage The judge SHOULD The judge SHOULD
SENTENCE NOT SENTENCE
Heinz to prison Heinz to prison
because because
he did not obey the prison is too much
Punishment-
law. punishment for his
Obedience
act.
He will be happy of Equity demands that
PRE-
himself for being a a case to case study
CONVENTIONAL
Instrumental- stern judge and in this case,
Relativist Heinz intention was
noble

Heinz intentions were

Society will consider to save his wife and
Interpersonal him a good stern both Heinz and his
Concordance judge wife will be grateful
to him
CONVENTIONAL
Stealing is against the Equity values life
law, he should not more than property
Society- make any exceptions rights
Maintaining

POST- The motives were in

CONVENTIONAL Criminal act should good faith and there
Social be penalized was no evil intent in
Contract Heinz case. The value
of life is way above
the law.
Universal Saving a human life
Ethics Heinz is still is far more valuable
Principle depriving the scientist than the property
his fair compensation rights of another
and other sick people
 the benefit of the cure

Rubrics

Crite- Weight 100% 80% 60% 40% 20%

ria
Reflects Reflects Reflects Reflects Reflects
EXCELL VERY GOOD POOR VERY
ENT GOOD synthesis synthesis POOR
synthesis synthesis of the of the synthesis
of the of the concept of concept of of the
Logic 70% concept of concept of Kohlberg’ Kohlberg’ concept of
Kohlberg’ Kohlberg’ s Stages s Stages Kohlberg’
s Stages s Stages of Moral of Moral s Stages of
of Moral of Moral Develop- Develop- Moral
Develop- Develop- ment ment Develop-
ment ment ment
Grammar Grammar Grammar Grammar Grammar
and and and and and
Use of vocabu- vocabu- vocabu- vocabu- vocabu-
the lary used lary used lary used lary used lary used
English 30% are MOST are VERY are are are NOT
Langua appro- appro- SATISFA LEAST appro-
ge priate. priate. CTORIL appro- priate.
Y appro- priate.
priate.

Congratulations! You have successfully completed the task in Lesson 3. Should

there be questions and clarifications in some part of the lesson, kindly message your
instructor.

If you do not have any questions or clarifications, you are now prepared to
move on to Lesson 4. Enjoy and keep working! GOD Bless.