Jackie Pack LCSW, CSAT-S, CMAT
Stages of Moral Development
How does our understanding of right and wrong evolve as we grow? In this video, we explore Lawrence Kohlberg’s Stages of Moral Development, a groundbreaking framework that explains how moral reasoning develops through distinct stages.
You’ll learn:
• The six stages of Kohlberg’s model, from obedience and self-interest to universal ethical principles.
• How these stages show up in everyday life, decision-making, and society.
• The important contributions of Carol Gilligan, Kohlberg’s research assistant, who offered a different perspective by emphasizing care, relationships, and context in moral development.
This video gives you a clear and engaging overview of moral psychology, showing both Kohlberg’s influential theory and Gilligan’s critique that reshaped the conversation.
How do we learn right from wrong? Therapist Jackie Pack, LCSW, walks through Lawrence Kohlberg's stages of moral development, and the important challenge to it from Carol Gilligan. In this video: • How differentiation and individuation help you balance connection and independence. • The famous Heinz dilemma, and why Kohlberg cared about the reasoning, not the answer. • Kohlberg's three levels: a focus on self, then on rules and approval, then on deeper principles. • Why girls and women seemed to "score lower," and what Gilligan found instead. • Gilligan's ethics of care: from survival, to self-sacrifice, to a balance that includes you. • Why moral maturity can look like both justice and care. Good for anyone curious about psychology, or learning to honor their own needs alongside others'.