One of the best-known explanations of how morality of justice develops was developed by Lawrence Kohlberg and his associates (Kohlberg, Levine, & Hewer, 1983; Power, Higgins, & Kohlberg, 1991). Using a stage model similar to Piaget's, Kohlberg proposed six stages of moral development, grouped into three levels. Individuals experience the stages universally and in sequence as they form beliefs about justice. He named the levels simply preconventional, conventional, and (you guessed it) postconventional. The levels and stages are summarized in the Table 3.5.
|
Moral stage |
Definition of what is “good” |
|
Preconventional Level: Stage 1: Obedience and punishment Stage 2: Market exchange |
Action that is rewarded and not punished Action that is agreeable to the child and child's partner |
|
Conventional Level: Stage 3: Peer opinion Stage 4: Law and order |
Action that wins approval from friends or peers Action that conforms to community customs or laws |
|
Postconventional Level: Stage 5: Social contract Stage 6: Universal principles |
Action that follows social accepted ways of making decisions Action that is consistent with self-chosen, general principles |
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