Moral reasoning focuses on ow and why adults an children decide that a hypothetical are actual behavior is right or wrong. Lawrence Kohlberg developed a theory of moral development.
He studied moral development by giving individuals a series of moral dilemmas, simplified into six stages. He was mainly concerned with how an individual justified their choice.
Stage 1: One Punishment “adult and authority figures determine what is moral”
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Stage 2: Instrumental purpose and Exchange “individuals determine what is moral based on their needs”
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Stage 3: Mutual Interpersonal expectations relationships & Mutual “social roles determine moral behavior”
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Stage 4: Transition: Social contract “social laws determine what is moral.”
Stage 5: “considers many perspectives at
once”Stage 6: Universal ethical principles “individual defines what is right and what’s wrong.”