Lawrence Kohlberg was, for many years, a professor at Harvard University.

He became
famous for his work there beginning in the early 1970s. He started as a developmental
psychologist and then moved to the field of moral education. He was particularly well-known
for his theory of moral development which he popularized through research studies
conducted at Harvard's Center for Moral Education.

 Moral development
is the gradual development of an individuals concept of right or wrong – conscious,
religious values, social attitudes and certain behaviour.

 Having specialized in research on moral education and reasoning, he is best known for
his theory of stages of moral development.

His theory of moral development was dependent on the thinking of the Swiss psychologist
Jean Piaget and the American philosopher John Dewey. He was also inspired by James Mark
Baldwin. These men had emphasized that human beings develop philosophically and
psychologically in a progressive fashion.

“which is the basis for ethical behavior, has six identifiable developmental constructive stages -
each more adequate at responding to moral dilemmas than the last.”

 Created while studying psychology at the University of Chicago, the theory was inspired
by the work of Jean Piaget and a fascination with children's reactions to moral dilemmas
 However, movement through these stages are not natural, that is people do not
automatically move from one stage to the next as they mature. In stage development,
movement occurs when a person notices inadequacies in his or her present way of
coping with a given moral dilemma.

Moral reasoning has six developmental stages, each more adequate at responding to moral
dilemmas than its predecessor.

Slide 4

Kohlberg believed...and was able to demonstrate through studies...that people progressed in

their moral reasoning (i.e., in their bases for ethical behavior) through a series of stages. He
believed that there were six identifiable stages which could be more generally classified into
three levels.

Stage 1
Especially common in young children, but adults are capable of expressing this type of
reasoning. At this stage, children see rules as fixed and absolute.

 Determines a sense of right and wrong by what is punished and what is not punished
  Is responsive to rules that will affect his/her physical well-being
 People at this level judge the morality of an action by its direct consequences.
For example: When Mary cheated at the exam, she got slapped by her mother so that she will
not do it again.

Stage 2
At this stage of moral development, children account for individual points of view and judge
actions based on how they serve individual needs. Reciprocity is possible, but only if it serves
one's own interests.

Stage 3
This stage of moral development is focused on living up to social expectations and roles. There
is an emphasis on conformity, being "nice," and consideration of how choices influence
relationships.

Stage 4
At this stage of moral development, people begin to consider society as a whole when making
judgments. The focus is on maintaining law and order by following the rules, doing one’s duty,
and respecting authority.

Conclu

Moral development plays an important role in our social interactions.

Understanding how and why individuals make decisions regarding moral
dilemmas can be very useful in many settings. Kohlberg’s theory of moral
development provides a framework in which to investigate and begin to
comprehend how moral reasoning develops within individuals.