1. Moral Development
Looking at the philosophy of Jean Piaget and Lawrence Kohlberg regarding
why and how people justify the decisions they make.
S

2. Why are we learning this?
S Learn about what affects us when we make decisions
S What should we be considering?
S What are our concerns?

3. Piaget
STAGES
Senroi-Motor
(birth-2years)
Pre-Operational
(2-7 years)
Concrete Operational
(7-11 years)
Formal Operational
(11 years and up)

4. Senroi-Motor •Differentiates self from objects
(birth-2years) •Recognises self as agent of action
and begins to act intentionally: e.g.
pulls a string to set a mobile in
motion or shakes a rattle to make a
noise.
•Achieves object permanence:
realises that things continue to exist
even when no longer present to the
sense

5. Pre- •Learns to use language and to
Operational represent objects by images and
(2-7 years)
words
•Thinking is still egocentric: has
difficulty taking the viewpoint of
others
•Classifies objects by a single
feature: e.g. groups together all the
red blocks regardless of shape or all
the square blocks regardless of
colour

6. Concrete •Can think logically about objects
Operational and events
(7-11 years)
•Achieves conservation of number
(age 6), mass (age 7), and weight
(age 9)
•Classifies objects according to
several features and can order
them in series along a single
dimension such as size.

7. Formal •Can think logically about abstract
Operational propositions and test hypothesis
(11 years and up)
systematically
•Becomes concerned with the
hypothetical, the future, and
ideological problems

8. Kohlberg
Level One: Stage 1: Punishment- •I should get my own way.
Pre- Obedience Orientation •To get rewards and avoid punishments.
Conventional
Morality
Stage 2: Instrumental •I should do what I’m told
Relativist Orientation •To stay out of trouble

9. Level Two: Stage 3: Good Boy- •I should look out for myself, but be fair to
Conventional Nice Girl Orientation those who are fair to me.
Morality •What’s in it for me?
Stage 4: Law and •I should be a nice person and live up to
Order Orientation the expectations of people I know and
care about.
•So others will think well of me and I can
think well of myself.

10. Kohlberg
Level Three Stage 5: Social •I should fulfill my
Post- Contract Orientation responsibilities to the social or
Conventional value system I feel part of.
Morality •To keep the system from falling
apart and to maintain self-
respect as somebody who
meets my obligations
Stage 6: Universal •I should show the greatest
Ethical Principle possible respect for the rights
Orientation and dignity of every individual
person and should support a
system that protects human
rights.
•The obligation of conscience to
act in accordance with the
principle of respect for all
human beings.

11. Scenario Instructions
S Read the scenario and make a decision.
S Once you have made your decision, link it to one of the
stages of moral development.
S Provide one supporting sentence that justifies the stage
that you have selected.

12. Case Study – The Heinz
Dilemma
S Scenario 1 A woman was near death from a unique kind
of cancer. There is a drug that might save her. The drug
costs $4,000 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 $2,000. He asked the doctor scientist who
discovered the drug for a discount or let him pay later. But
the doctor scientist refused. Should Heinz break into the
laboratory to steal the drug for his wife? Why or why not?

13. Case Study – The Heinz
Dilemma
S 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 last
evening, behaving suspiciously near the laboratory.
Later that night, he saw Heinz running away from the
laboratory. Should Brown report what he saw? Why
or why not?

14. Case Study – The Heinz
Dilemma
S Scenario 3 Officer Brown reported what he saw.
Heinz was arrested and brought to court. If
convicted, he faces up to two years' jail. Heinz was
found guilty. Should the judge sentence Heinz to
prison? Why or why not?

15. What would you do?
S Consider your own experience – Where are you
according to the stages of Moral development?