LAWRENCE KOHLBERG’S THEORY

OF MORAL REASONING AND ITS

APPLICATION IN BUSINESS ETHICS
Kohlberg asserts that our moral
reasoning goes through three
levels and six stages:
 Level One: Pre-Conventional
Morality

The person is not yet fully aware of

the various ethical standards, laws
and customs agreed upon and
instituted by the community and
the society at large.
The child is operating on this level.
 Stage One: Punishment
Orientation

Children are driven to act rightly

because they are motivated by fear
of punishment. (takot stage)

What if there is a 100% guarantee

that a bad act will not be caught?
 Stage Two: Instrumental
Exchange

Child is oriented to the value of an

act based on the favors and
rewards that he can get by
performing the said act. (gamitan
stage)
Level Two: Conventional Morality

The person becomes conscious

that he is living in a society where
there is countless number of
people with countless interests.
 Stage Three: Interpersonal
Conformity

Person’s motive for doing or

avoiding an act is very much
influenced and driven by what his
immediate relationships would
approve, say and think about him.
(hiya stage)
 Stage Four: Law and Order

Person simply realizes that the law

must always be upheld, respected
and obeyed.
He considers the larger society that
is kept orderly and is mindful of the
common good through systems of
laws, codes and authority.
 Level Three: Post - Conventional
Morality

The person is not anymore determined and

conditioned by “social conventions”, rather
he becomes more free and more conscious
of universal ethical principles of human
rights, justice, fairness, equality, human
dignity and common good.
 Stage Five: Social Contract
Orientation
Laws exist to serve the basic rights
and needs of each and every
member of the society.
“I should not steal not only because I abide with and
respect the law but because stealing is a violation of
one’s basic right to property”
“I can steal some food even if stealing is against the law
because of my family’s extreme necessity for food”
 Stage Five: Social Contract
Orientation
Laws exist to serve the basic rights
and needs of each and every
member of the society.

“Kapag ikaw ay may malalaking lupain na sobra-sobra

na sa iyong pangangailangan, hindi na sa iyo ang lahat
ng iyon. Kahit may titulo ka pa. Iyon ay pag-aari na ng
mga walang lupa. Nagnanakaw ka na sa kanila”
 Stage Six: Universal Ethical
Principles

The person who operates on this stage is simply

propelled by what is the RIGHT thing to do.
This right act is neither subjective nor relative
because it is anchored on universal ethical
principles that are according to Kohlberg are
valid for people at all times. Therefore one’s
conscience is formed and developed based on
these universal ethical principles.
 Stage Six: Universal Ethical
Principles

Here, the morally mature person is

not anymore governed by fear of
punishment, nor by reward, nor by
social expectations, nor by societal
laws and precepts, nor by basic
social contracts.
Stage Six: Universal Ethical
Principles

Examples:
Whistleblowing
Stories of martyrs, saints and
heroes
PRINCIPLES OF JUSTICE
JUSTICE IS BASED ON MORAL
PRINCIPLES THAT
IDENTIFY EQUITABLE WAYS OF
DISTRIBUTING BENEFITS AND
BURDENS AMONG THE MEMBERS
OF SOCIETY
ST. THOMAS AQUINAS FOLLOWING
ARISTOTLE, DEFINES JUSTICE AS THE HABIT
WHEREBY A PERSON
- RENDERS TO EACH ONE,
ST. THOMAS AQUINAS FOLLOWING
ARTISTOTLE, DEFINES JUSTICE AS THE
HABIT WHEREBY A PERSON
- RENDERS TO EACH ONE,
- WITH CONSTANT AND PERPETUAL WILL,
ST. THOMAS AQUINAS FOLLOWING
ARTISTOTLE, DEFINES JUSTICE AS THE
HABIT WHEREBY A PERSON
- RENDERS TO EACH ONE,
- WITH CONSTANT AND PERPETUAL WILL,
- HIS DUE (HIS RIGHT).
IT IS A MORAL ATTITUDE IN A PERSON
THAT INCLINES HIS WILL TO GIVE TO EVERY
HUMAN BEING HIS DUE, THAT IS, HIS
RIGHT.
HENCE:
1. THE OBJECT OF JUSTICE IS WHAT IS
RIGHT
HENCE:
1. THE OBJECT OF JUSTICE IS WHAT IS
RIGHT
2. AN ACT OF JUSTICE MEANS TO
GIVE TO EACH HIS DUE
HENCE:
1. THE OBJECT OF JUSTICE IS WHAT IS
RIGHT
2. AN ACT OF JUSTICE MEANS TO GIVE
TO EACH HIS DUE
3. THE MEASURE OF JUSTICE IS
EQUALITY
HENCE:
1. THE OBJECT OF JUSTICE IS WHAT IS
RIGHT
2. AN ACT OF JUSTICE MEANS TO GIVE TO
EACH HIS DUE
3. THE MEASURE OF JUSTICE IS EQUALITY
4. THE SUBJECT OF JUSTICE IS ONE’S WILL
HENCE:
1. THE OBJECT OF JUSTICE IS WHAT IS
RIGHT
2. AN ACT OF JUSTICE MEANS TO GIVE TO
EACH HIS DUE
3. THE MEASURE OF JUSTICE IS EQUALITY
4. THE SUBJECT OF JUSTICE IS ONE’S WILL
5. THE POINT OF REFERENCE OF JUSTICE
IS OTHERNESS
ESSENTIAL QUALITIES OF JUSTICE
1. EQUALITY – the giving to another
of what is due to him, neither more
nor less
ESSENTIAL QUALITIES OF JUSTICE
1. EQUALITY – the giving to another of
what is due to him, neither more nor
less
2. INDEBTEDNESS – signifies that the
demand of justice is not answered by
a gift but by the obligation to render
to another his due
ESSENTIAL QUALITIES OF JUSTICE
1. EQUALITY – the giving to another of
what is due to him, neither more nor
less
2. INDEBTEDNESS – signifies that the
demand of justice is not answered by a
gift but by the obligation to render to
another his due
3. OTHERNESS – justice is always
directed to another person
KINDS OF JUSTICE:
1. COMPENSATORY JUSTICE –
concerned with restoring to a
person what the person lost when
wronged by someone else
KINDS OF JUSTICE:
2. RETRIBUTIVE JUSTICE –
concerned with blaming or
punishing persons for doing wrong
KINDS OF JUSTICE:
3. COMMUTATIVE JUSTICE – refers
to Equal Work means Equal Pay
KINDS OF JUSTICE:
4. SOCIAL JUSTICE – concerned
with the exercise of rights and the
corresponding demand of duty in
society
KINDS OF JUSTICE:
5. DISTRIBUTIVE JUSTICE –
concerned with fair distribution of
society’s benefits and burdens
CHARACTERISTICS RELEVANT TO BE
CONSIDERED AS BASIS FOR JUST
DISTRIBUTION:
1. JUSTICE BASED ON EQUALITY
(EGALITARIANISM)
Principle: Every person should be
given exactly equal shares of
society’s benefits and burdens
CHARACTERISTICS RELEVANT TO BE
CONSIDERED AS BASIS FOR JUST
DISTRIBUTION:
2. JUSTICE BASED ON
CONTRIBUTION (CAPITALISM)
Principle: Benefits should be
distributed according to the
contribution each individual makes
to achieve the aims of his group
CHARACTERISTICS RELEVANT TO BE
CONSIDERED AS BASIS FOR JUST
DISTRIBUTION:
3. JUSTICE BASED ON NEEDS AND
ABILITIES (SOCIALISM)
Principle: From each according to his
ability, to each according to his needs.
Work burdens should be distributed
according to people’s abilities, and
benefits should be distributed
according to people’s needs.
CHARACTERISTICS RELEVANT TO BE
CONSIDERED AS BASIS FOR JUST
DISTRIBUTION:
4. JUSTICE BASED ON FREEDOM
(LIBERTARIANISM)
Principle: From each as they choose, to
each as they are chosen. Any distribution
of benefits and burdens is just if it is the
result of individuals freely choosing to
exchange with each other the goods each
person already owns.
CHARACTERISTICS RELEVANT TO BE
CONSIDERED AS BASIS FOR JUST
DISTRIBUTION:
5. JUSTICE AS FAIRNESS
1ST Principle: Each person has an
equal right to the most extensive
basic liberties compatible with
similar liberties for all (Equal
Liberty Portion)
CHARACTERISTICS RELEVANT TO BE
CONSIDERED AS BASIS FOR JUST
DISTRIBUTION:
5. JUSTICE AS FAIRNESS
2nd Principle: Social and economic
inequalities are arranged so that they are
both: a)used to the greatest benefit of the
least advantage persons and b) attached to
offices and positions open to all under
conditions of fair equality of opportunity
(Difference Portion)
KINDS OF JUSTICE:
1. COMPENSATORY JUSTICE – concerned with
restoring to a person what the person lost when
wronged by someone else
2. RETRIBUTIVE JUSTICE – concerned with blaming or
punishing persons for doing wrong
3. COMMUTATIVE JUSTICE – refers to Equal Work
means Equal Pay
4. SOCIAL JUSTICE – concerned with the exercise of
rights and the corresponding demand of duty in society
5. DISTRIBUTIVE JUSTICE – concerned with fair
distribution of society’s benefits and burdens