Kohlberg’s Theory of Moral Development
![](https://dev.theedadvocate.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/SpringBoard-Image-1-660x400.jpg)
Kohlberg’s Theory of Moral Development is one of psychology’s most widely accepted theories of moral development. Kohlberg’s theory is based on the theory of cognitive development, which holds that humans progress through four stages of cognitive development: Pre-, post-conventional, and transcendental. The theory of moral development is based on the assumption that all humans progress through these stages of cognitive development and that each stage is associated with different sets of moral values.
The Pre-conventional stage is associated with the development of egocentrism, or the belief that one’s views and interests are the only valid ones. Individuals in this stage are primarily concerned with their safety and well-being and view the world as concrete, physical facts.
The conventional stage is associated with the development of meta-rationality, or the understanding that different ways of looking at the world and living are not based on concrete, physical facts. In the conventional stage, individuals can make moral decisions based on abstract principles rather than on their self-interest.
The post-conventional stage is associated with the development of altruism, or the willingness to sacrificially help others. In the post-conventional stage, individuals can make moral decisions based on principles of justice rather than simply on their interests.
The transcendental stage is associated with the development of universalism, or the belief that all humans share the same moral values. In the transcendental stage, individuals can make moral decisions based on principles that apply to everyone, even those who do not share their own particular beliefs or culture.
Kohlberg’s theory has been widely accepted for several reasons. First, the theory assumes that humans progress through these stages of cognitive development, a widely accepted theory in psychology. Second, the theory is based on the observation that all humans exhibit certain moral values in the context of different stages of cognitive development, which is also a widely accepted observation in psychology. Finally, the theory has successfully predicted the outcomes of experiments involving moral behavior assessment, a common criterion of scientific validity.