Kohlberg's theory is primarily based on which concept?

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Kohlberg's theory centers on how people reason about moral issues—the justifications they use to decide what is right or wrong—rather than just what actions they take or the outcomes they produce. He proposed that moral reasoning develops through a sequence of stages, organized into three levels: preconventional, conventional, and postconventional. Each stage reflects a different basis for judging right from wrong, progressing from self-interest and obedience to authority to adherence to social rules and, finally, to universal ethical principles. The Heinz dilemma is a classic example used to illustrate how reasoning changes as people move through these stages.

This focus on the development and structure of moral justification is why the concept is stages of moral reasoning. Economic outcomes look at results and efficiency, social norms concern what a group expects, and feelings involve emotions—none capture the developmental sequence of moral justification that Kohlberg studied.