n at this level of moral thought conform to rules out of self-interest and consideration for what others can do for them in return. However, actions are looked at in terms of the human needs they meet and the value of this can be differentiated from the act's physical form and consequences.
(3) Stage 3: Maintaining mutual relations, approval of others, the golden rule. The thoughts underlying moral behavior at this age often center around the desire to be a "good" boy or girl. Children at the Stage 3 level of moral thought want to please and help others at this stage. Also, they can judge the intentions of others, and develop their own ideas of what a good person is. They evaluate an act according to the motive behind it or the person performing it, and they take circumstances into account.
Stage 4: Social system and conscience. At this stage of development children become concerned with the question of what would happen to society if everybody did some given act, e.g. what would society be like if everyone felt free to steal from others. Duty and respect for higher authority as well as maintaining the social order become important considerations for the Stage 4 thinker. At this stage, an action can be considered to be always wrong, regardless of motive or circumstances if it has been found to violates a rule and to harm others.
Kohlberg divides these four stages into two broad categories of moral reasoning. The first two stages are termed stages of "Preconvetional Morality" in which the emphasis is upon external control with the standards advocated by children being primarily those of others.
Children at the preconventional level perceive these moral standards in terms of avoiding punishing or reaping reward. According to Kohlberg, children pass through Stage 1 around four years of age and do not end Stage 2 until around ten years of age.
Stages 3 and 4 are termed stages of "Conventional Morality." They are ...