Moral Development Theory
Updated 2026-08-08
INTRODUCTION
English translation pending.
CORE DEFINITION
A research tradition including Jean Piaget's stages of moral judgment, Lawrence Kohlberg's three levels and six stages of moral reasoning, and Carol Gilligan's ethics of care. The theories describe a progression from reasoning based on punishment and self-interest, through conformity to social rules, toward reasoning based on principles or relationships. Growth is driven by cognitive maturation and by encountering perspectives that conflict with the current stage.
SCAFFOLDING EFFECT
Reduce cognitive load
- Locate the stage: infer the reasoning level from the reasons someone gives, not from the choice they make - Create conflict: present a dilemma one stage above the current level to provoke development - Match incentives: design rules and rewards that speak to the reasoning level people actually use
Anchor fast decisions
Each stage organizes moral reasoning around a different criterion, and a stage is abandoned when it can no longer resolve the conflicts a person encounters. Exposure to reasoning one level above the current one creates that disequilibrium, because the higher argument accounts for more of the case. Development therefore depends on encountering better reasoning, not on instruction in conclusions.
MINIMUM ACTION
In progress 0/1Practice this model in one real situation:
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Source support: Explicit
- en.wikipedia.orghttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lawrence_Kohlberg%27s_stages_of_moral_developmentverified
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