Lawrence Kohlberg’s Theory of Moral Development

Lawrence Kohlberg began his research at the University of Chicago studying the moral reasoning of young boys, utilizing the work of Piaget who explored moral development of children (Evans et al., 1998). After much research and revision, Kohlberg came up with his theory of cognitive-development for moral decision-making. Kohlberg’s work centers directly on how people make moral judgments. At the heart of moral reasoning, Kohlberg stressed that justice was the core principle for making such judgments. “Justice, the primary regard for the value and equality of all human beings, and for reciprocity in human relations, is a basic and human standard” (Kohlberg, 1972, as cited in Evans et al., 1998, p. 173).
Kohlberg’s theory has six stages grouped in three levels, each defined by its sociomoral perspective which is, “the point of view the individual takes in defining both social facts and sociomoral values” (Kohlberg, 1976, as cited in Evans et al., 1998, p. 173). Each stage represents a different relationship between the individual making the decision and engaging in moral development and society’s rules and expectations. Kohlberg also asserted that only when disequilibrium occurs or when an individual is exposed to higher-stage thinking is when growth in moral development can occur.