Kohlberg's Theory of Moral Development

Lawrence Kohlberg began his collegiate career at the University of Chicago, in Chicago, Illinois. He was indeed a very brilliant man and a true scholar. He was so smart in fact, that he placed extremely high on the University’s entrance exam. This resulted in him only having to take a few classes towards graduation. In just one year’s time, he was able to receive his bachelor’s degree from the University of Chicago. After graduation, he began working on his graduate coursework, thinking he would be a clinical psychologist. Instead, he became interested in the works of American philosopher John Dewey, as well as, a Swiss psychologist named Jean Piaget. This interest in their work, lead Lawrence to issuing his doctoral dissertation, which explained his theory of the development of moral reasoning. This was dependent on Dewey’s and Piaget’s way of thinking.) Lawrence not only taught at the University of Chicago, but also at Harvard University, where his theory became popular through research studies that were conducted at Harvard’s Center for Moral Education. His theory pioneered the world of science between both positivists and behavioralists by the presentation of a new theory of moral development that would bridge together science and moral values that were based on cognitive reasoning instead of behavior.

“In brief, Kohlberg’s Theory of Moral Development presents three levels: The Preconventional, Conventional, and Postconventional. Each level contains two stages. Stages one and two in the preconventional involve an “egocentric point of view” and a “concrete individualistic perspective” in which the person makes choices based on the fear of punishment and the desire for rewards. In stages three and four of the conv...

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