The 3 Stages of Moral Development

Psychologist, Lawrence Kohlberg, was perhaps a revolution on the subject of moral development. As a species, we, almost universally, have a moral compass that we all carry. Each of us has a set of moral principles that we desire to live up to, and often feel guilt or shame when we do not. However, like all psychological processes, Kohlberg recognized that this aspect of self must develop across time. Like other psychologists, such as Erikson, Kohlberg believed that moral development occurred across a multitude of stages. Let us examine further.

1. The preconventional stage: At this stage, one's sense of right and wrong are contingent upon opportunistic action and the subsequent result that follows. In other words, something is right or wrong in-so-far as it is beneficial or costly to the self. There is no further regard for principality or virtue. Instead, this stage appears to merely reflect a generalized risk/reward analysis.

2. The conventional stage: At this stage, one has acknowledged the standards of the culture with which one belongs to. Furthermore, the individual feels a sense of duty in living up to the norms and expectations of the social order. These principles however, are not yet internalized, but rather are still viewed in regards to how they maintain the social order.

3. The postconventional stage: At this point, the individual has come to internalized the moral standards imposed by the culture, and now views these standards as entities that are qualitatively distinct and independent from the culture itself. In other words, these principles are absolute universal truths (in the mind of the individual) and do not reflect an a cultural imposition. At this point, living to these standards is important do the person, and distressing when this does not occur.