Kohlberg's stages of moral development

 

                                     Kohlberg

Lawrence Kohlberg, a famous American psychologist, described the stages of moral development of an individual. Using his studies, he made important contributions to moral development. Kohlberg developed his own perspective, incorporating the ideas of Jean Piaget. Kohlberg divided moral development into three main stages and each of these into two substages, which can be divided into six stages in total.

1. Pre-constitutive Stage:

During this stage, children's morality is probably shaped by rewards and punishments. They evaluate their behavior by external consequences.

Stage 1: Punishment and Subordination:

During this stage, children behave in a way that is not necessarily dictated by rules. They quickly judge the purity of behavior by its effectiveness. For example, "I can't do this because punishment is a test."

Stage 2: Personal gain and exchange:

At this stage, children pay more attention to their own needs. They become fixated on the idea that 'if you help me, I will help you'. This is similar to the principle of exchange.

2. Constitutional stage:

At this stage, a person's moral judgments are in line with the expectations of society. Here social rules and agreements are important.

Stage 3: Good business relationships:

Here individuals rely on those who say 'I am good'. They behave in a way that gives life to others. They are loyal to family and friends.

Stage 4: Law and contract maintenance:

At this stage, the individual focuses on how to protect the law, rules, and society. There is a belief that breaking the rules will affect the well-being of society.

3. North Constitutional stage:

At this stage, a person's moral values ​​are derived from personal logic and theories. They have the ability to question rules and prioritize human rights.

Stage 5: Social Contract and Individual Rights:

Here the individual considers human rights and freedoms to be important. They strongly demonstrate that some rules, although legal, are not moral. For example, if any law causes inequality, they may question it.

Stage 6: Universal Moral Principles:

This is the last stage that Kohlberg specifically described. Here the principles that guide a person's behavior include equality, justice, and human respect. These principles transcend the law.

Significance and Criticisms of the Theory:

Kohlberg's theory provided a new perspective to the study of moral development. He considered legal reasoning to be important in moral judgment. However, some critics have cited limitations to this theory. For example, the expert Castle Gilligan has argued that Kohlberg's theory does not adequately reflect the moral expression of women.

Synopsis (Epilogue):

Kohlberg's theory of moral development meticulously demonstrates the path of moral development of an individual. The stages he gave explain how behavior changes at different stages in a person's life. The theory has recognized economic significance in the study of education, psychology, and moral judgment.