Chapter 53: Moral Development Theory

When Lawrence Kohlberg proposed his theory of moral judgment development, he was attempting to provide a cognitive-developmental structure for a phenomenon that had previously been described in primarily social terms. Previous notions of morality focused on societal norms, so that any action or decision could be deemed moral so long as it conformed to a particular set of conventions held by the group (Lapsley, 1996). However, this understanding of morality troubled Kohlberg, as it would have theoretically justified Nazi atrocities and other behaviors that were arguably wrong but congruent with the social norms of a time and place. His theory of moral judgment development outlined a series of stages through which a person would pass over time with development that culminated in the highest stage, which was considered the most developmentally adaptive, and therefore good, regardless of culture, location, or era (Kohlberg, 1969; Lapsley, 1996).