By If there is a key figure in 20th century psychology, it is Lawrence Kohlberg, who proposed the stages of moral development in man. Here we explain his theory and also a little of his more personal side.
The formation of moral judgment is a topic that has been widely studied by psychology in the last century. Within this field, Lawrence Kohlberg’s theory stands out, which revolves around the studies of Jean Piaget and proposes reasoning to resolve dilemmas that we find compromising.
According to this psychologist, there are six invariant and universal stages of morality. But before going on to explain his postulates, join us to learn about his life.
Lawrence Kohlberg: biography and career
This psychologist was born in Bronxville, New York, on October 25, 1927, to a Jewish family of German origin. He was the youngest of four children. His parents separated when he was four years old. Therefore, during his childhood, he lived under the shared custody of his parents. In 1938, this came to an end and the children were able to choose who they wanted to live with. The two eldest stayed with their mother and the two youngest (including Lawrence) with their father.
He attended Phillips Academy in Massachusetts for his high school years and later served in the Merchant Marine during the final phase of World War II.
He also worked briefly on a ship that rescued Jewish refugees from Romania and took them to Palestine. During this last period, Kohlberg was arrested by the British government and sent to a concentration camp in Cyprus. Fortunately, the young man managed to escape. Afterwards, he stayed in Palestine for a few years, where he demonstrated non-violently for the rights of Israel.
Academic and professional training
In 1948 he returned to the United States to pursue higher education at the University of Chicago, where he obtained a Bachelor of Arts . He also began researching his doctoral thesis, based on the work of Jean Piaget on cognitive development in childhood. By this time he was already interested in evolutionary psychology and moral development.
His first experience as a teacher was at Yale University, where he worked as a psychology assistant, a position he held until 1961. In 1968, he obtained a position as professor of Education and Social Psychology at Harvard University. He remained at this prestigious institution until his death in 1987.
How did Lawrence Kohlberg die?
An event that marked his adult life occurred in 1971 in Belize. Kohlberg suffered from a parasite infection that caused him multiple physical ailments. This was a factor that caused the psychologist to suffer from a deep depression , triggering his premature death at the age of 59, allegedly through suicide.
Despite this tragic end, Lawrence Kohlberg’s theoretical and research career is one of the most influential in the field of psychology. So much so that, a century later, he is one of the most relevant and studied authors in all faculties of the discipline.
Moral development theory
As we have already mentioned, Kohlberg’s main field of study was moral development in human beings. Based on Piaget’s studies, he conceived this milestone as a process that goes through several phases of greater complexity. Something new is that in his research he used moral reasoning, aimed at understanding the structure of thought.
He presented people with dilemmas, or decision conflicts, and classified the responses obtained. Moral dilemmas consist of short stories in which the protagonist finds himself in a compromised situation, because he has to choose between two comparable alternatives.
According to Kohlberg, in order to establish our moral principles , we must first experience a cognitive conflict that challenges our previously held reasoning. Thus, through such conflicts, one develops one’s own judgments.
Using this method, he described six stages that correspond to three levels of moral reasoning. The sequence is invariant, and the progression is universal. Through cross-cultural studies, Kohlberg found that all people undergo the same process. We will detail the phases below.
1. Preconventional level
The first level proposed by Lawrence Kohlberg covers the age of 4 to 10 years. It coincides with the child’s egocentric thinking (according to Piaget’s theory of development ). In addition, the preconventional stage is divided into the following phases:
Stage I: heteronomous morality
Morality is guided by the avoidance of punishment . That is, the child is obedient not because he feels he should be, but because he fears punishment.
Stage II: individualism and exchange
Known as instrumental relativism, only rules that benefit one’s own interest are followed and agreements are respected, as long as there is reciprocity. The classic “if you behave well with me, I’ll behave well with you.”
2. Conventional level
It appears between the ages of 10 and 13. The adolescent builds more complex social relationships and abandons the previous egocentrism. It also covers two stages.
Stage III: interpersonal expectations
Morality is lived according to what significant people expect. For example: “You shouldn’t steal, because my mom says that good children don’t steal.”
Stage IV: social order
What matters is social responsibility, not only towards other people, but towards society as a whole. Laws exist to be followed.
3. Postconventional level
The third and final Kohlberg level is the most advanced and appears from adolescence, early adulthood or may never be reached (depending on the person). It encompasses these cycles:
Stage V: Social contract orientation
Morality is guided by the law that most people accept. The rules are considered to be specific to each social group, based on the value system , and they must be followed because they are an agreement established by everyone.
Stage VI: Universal ethical principles
Only a few people reach this last stage and it is the most complex. The individual creates his own ethical principles that are comprehensive, rational and universal. The person is able to form his judgments according to how he believes society should be, and not how it is imposed on him.
Kohlberg’s contributions are relevant in today’s education
Lawrence Kohlberg is a key figure in the history of psychology and in education and formal teaching. In this regard, a publication of the Revista Española de Pedagogía points out that he conceived of students as autonomous and reflective. That is, with the capacity to form their own judgments, which teachers should encourage, rather than indoctrinate them with certain values.
Finally, through his postulates, he emphasizes that the true influence of a psychologist is evident when theory is put into practice. And that is something he did not hesitate to apply in order to understand a little more about the mysteries of the human psyche.