Islam and Lawrence Kohlberg 6 stages of moral development

In psychology, there’s a theory by Lawrence Kohlberg that explains how people develop their sense of right and wrong.

He says we grow through three main levels, six stages in total. As we mature, we’re supposed to go from doing what’s right out of fear, to doing what’s right out of love for justice and deep personal conviction.

But Islam blocks that growth. It keeps people stuck in the lower stages.

Stage 1: “Don’t do it or you’ll be punished.”

 This is the Pre-Conventional Level. It’s how young children think. Right and wrong are based on fear of punishment.

Islam plays heavily on this. You’re told:

“Don’t miss prayer or you’ll burn.”

“Don’t disobey or the angels will curse you.”

“Do the wrong thing and you’ll be tortured in the grave.”

It’s all about fear. You don’t develop a conscience, you develop anxiety. You obey because you’re terrified, not because you understand.

Stage 2: “I’ll be good so I get rewarded.”

Still at the Pre-Conventional Level. Now it’s about what’s in it for me. You’re not asking what’s right, you’re asking what’s profitable.

“Pray and get 1000 credits.”

“Say this dua and Allah will erase your sins.”

“Martyr yourself and you’ll get paradise and virgins.”

Morality becomes transactional. You’re trained to ask, “What do I get for obeying?” not “Is this good?”

Stage 3: “Be good so people think you’re good.”

Now we’re at the Conventional Level. You start acting morally because you want to please others and fit in.

“Don’t shame your family.”

“Keep up appearances for the Ummah.”

“If you disobey, you’re embarrassing Islam.”

So you obey, not because you’ve reasoned it’s right, but because you’re afraid of being cast out. You become a slave to public image and community approval.

Stage 4: “Follow the law because the law is right.”

Still in the Conventional Level. Now, morality is tied to law and authority. In Islam, this is the point where questioning stops. The law is divine, so if Sharia says:

“Hate this.” You hate it.

“Love this.” You love it.

“This deserves death.”

You believe it, no matter what your heart says.

You don’t ask, “Is this just?” You ask, “Is this in the Qur’an?” The legal system replaces your conscience.

These are the Post-Conventional Level, where real moral thinking happens.
 

Stage 5 is when people start to think about social contracts, individual rights, and what’s best for everyone, not just their group.

Stage 6 is the highest stage: where you live by universal moral principles like justice, freedom, and human dignity, even when it costs you.

But Islam makes these stages almost impossible to reach, because in Islam:

The group is always right.

The law is unchangeable.

Questioning it is sin.

Doubt is betrayal.

Leaving is death.

So if you reach Stage 5 or 6, you’re considered dangerous, rebellious, or an apostate. You’re not seen as mature, you’re seen as corrupted.

Islam uses fear, guilt, reward, shame, and law to freeze you in place, mentally and morally. It doesn’t just give you rules. It teaches you to:

Hate what it hates

Love what it loves

Support death for what it says is evil
 

Not because you believe it, but because you’re trained not to ask.

It’s psychological colonization. Your thoughts are not your own. Your conscience is outsourced. Your soul is hijacked.

Where healthy belief systems encourage growth, self-awareness, and personal responsibility, Islam trains followers to remain in moral childhood. It replaces maturity with obedience. It turns fear into faith and conformity into virtue.