The Six Stages of Moral Reasoning or How Motorists Stop Worrying and Break The Rules

**Alpha_One** · April 18th, 2005 12:30 PM

This is something I've learned during High School in Values class. There are six stages of "moral reasoning". A person moves up the "moral reasoning ladder" as he matures as an individual. Small children for example, start out at Stage One, and old people should (ideally) be in Stage Six.

People do "fall back" on earlier stages though.

Stage 1: Fear of Punishment. A person chooses not to violate the rules because he is afraid of the direct consequences of doing so.

"Traffic rules? Who cares, I've never been caught!"

Stage 2: Personal Usefulness. A person does something because it is most useful to his cause.

"I'm late for a very important date! *activates wangwang, speeds and counterflows* Screw you all, suckers!"

Stage 3: Conformity to the Group. A person chooses to do something because everyone else does it. Teenagers who give in to peer pressure to be "in" for example, are in this stage.

"Nobody follows the traffic laws, so why should I be an exception?"

Stage 4: Law and Order. A person chooses to follow the rules just for the sake of following them.

"The speed markers say 100, ahh what the heck. *Drives at 100KPH*"
A less positive example: "Why should I wear my motorcycle helmet? It isn't against the law!"

Stage 5: Social Contract/Respect for Others. A person performs his actions thinking how it may affect other people.

"I dim my headlights whenever there is oncoming traffic so as not to blind other drivers."
A less positive example: *At 2AM* "The roads are deserted, so I wouldn't hit anybody. *Runs all the red lights as fast as possible*"

Stage 6: Personal Conscience. Self-explanatory... I hope.

"No. My conscience simply cannot allow such a thing to happen!"

**nicolodeon** · April 18th, 2005 12:35 PM

Modesty aside, stage five and stage six ako...pero, I'm not that old. Heck, I'm not old. Ain't even 40 yet, and being in 40s land is not old mind you.