CAROL GILLIGAN - MORAL DEVELOPMENT

Moral Development as presented by Carol Gilligan

Gilligan posited that there are 3 stages to the moral development of an individual, especially females (Gilligan countered the theories presented by Kohlberg, Erikson, and even Freud, which mainly focused on the experiences of white males)

1) LEVEL 1: Pre-Conventional
- The individual is selfish, since survival of the self is the top priority

2) LEVEL 2: Conventional
- "Self-sacrifice is goodness"
- care towards others is beginning to manifest at this stage

3) LEVEL 3: POST-CONVENTIONAL
- Morality of non-violence
- While the needs of others must be catered too, self-preservation is also accommodated at the same time
- Harming of others is considered immoral

1. MORAL
DEVELOPMENT
ACCORDING TO
CAROL GILLIGAN

2. CAROL GILLIGAN (1936-)

3. CAROL GILLIGAN (1936-)

4. MORAL DEVELOPMENT THEORY
(Gilligan, 1987)
CONSISTS OF 3 STAGES,
with 2 IN-BETWEEN TRANSITIONS
LEVEL 1:
PRE-CONVENTIONAL
LEVEL 2:
CONVENTIONAL
LEVEL 3:
POST-CONVENTIONAL

5. LEVEL 1: PRE-CONVENTIONAL
i.e. Orientation to Personal Survival
KEY CHARACTERISTICS OF THIS STAGE:
-individual cares only for self in order to
ensure survival
-how everyone is as a child
-goal is individual survival
-next is transitory stage:
CONNECTION & RESPONSIBILITY TO OTHERS

6. LEVEL 2: CONVENTIONAL
i.e. Self-sacrifice is goodness
KEY CHARACTERISTICS OF THIS STAGE:
-care towards other people beginning to
manifest
-in this stage, tensions between
responsibility of caring for others and
caring for self are faced
-next is transitory stage:
QUESTIONING COMPARATIVE VALUES OF
SELF VS. OTHERS

7. LEVEL 3: POST-CONVENTIONAL
i.e. Morality of Nonviolence
KEY CHARACTERISTICS OF THIS STAGE:
-heightened understanding of choice
between ow needs and care for others
-a moral equivalence is seen in oneself
and others
-hurting others is considered immoral
-“do not harm others or self”

9. LEVEL 3: MORALITY OF NONVIOLENCE
LEVEL 1:
ORIENTATION TO INDIVIDUAL SURVIVAL
LEVEL 2:
GOODNESS AS SELF-SACRIFICE
first transition: selfishness to responsibility
(connection and responsibility towards others)
last transition: goodness to truth
(individual realizes that they are a person too, i.e.
must not sacrifice everything for the sake of others)