Lawrence Kohlberg: biography of this American psychologist.

A review of the life and work of Lawrence Kohlberg, psychologist specialized in moral reasoning.

Morality is a concept widely studied in psychology. One of the most famous theories of moral development is that of Lawrence Kohlberg, an American psychologist born in 1927 and who died more than 30 years ago. However, his theory is still valid today.

In this article we will look at a biography of Lawrence KohlbergWe will also know in a summarized form his work and what are the 6 stages that he proposed to explain the evolution of morality.

Brief biography of Lawrence Kohlberg

Lawrence Kohlberg was an American psychologist born in New York on October 25, 1927, and who died on January 19, 1987 in Massachusetts at the age of 59. He studied at the University of Chicago; He was particularly interested in the field of morality and moral judgments..

Lawrence Kohlberg was influenced by the work of Jean Piaget, a Swiss psychologist who at that time had little influence in the United States, and who had researched mainly in the field of cognition and morality in children.

Trajectory

In 1958, Lawrence Kohlberg presented his doctoral thesis on this subject, and received his doctorate in Philosophy; specifically, he covered the subject of the development and evolution of moral judgments in the different stages of life.

As well as being a psychologist and philosopher, Kohlberg was a professor at several universities.. Specifically, after graduating from the University of Chicago, he worked at Yale University for a short time. He later returned to the University of Chicago, where he created the "Child Psychology Training Program".

Research and work

Later, in 1968, Kohlberg moved to Harvard University, where he founded the "Center for Moral Development and Education". founded the "Center for Moral Development and Education".. It was at Harvard University that he carried out a deeper analysis of his ideas on the development of morality and autonomy.

In addition to his research, Lawrence Kohlberg went into practice, trying to implement his theory; thus, in the Bronx borough of New York, he worked on a program to apply his principles to the development of moral development and autonomy, worked on a program to apply his moral principles to maladjusted youngsters in the Bronx neighborhood of New York..

As for his work, in addition to his research, he wrote several books on morality. Some of them are: The Claim of Moral Adequacy of a Higher Stage of Moral Judgment (1973) o Essays on Moral Development: The Philosophy of Moral Development (1973). (1981).

Kohlberg's moral development: characteristics

Lawrence Kohlberg developed his theory about moral development in the different stages of life. Before delving into his theory, let us differentiate the concepts of morality and ethics; thus, while morality, broadly speaking, refers to acting "right or wrong" in everyday life, ethics consists of philosophical reflection on such behavior..

On the other hand, morality also includes a series of norms, customs and beliefs that are considered appropriate for judging or "cataloguing" the behavior of people within a community.

To develop his theory, Lawrence Kohlberg presented ethical dilemmas to his research participants in order to assess their level of moral reasoning.. Moral dilemmas consist of short narratives or stories where a character finds himself in a complicated situation involving a value conflict; that is, the character has to choose, generally between two comparable alternatives.

According to Lawrence Kohlberg, the progression and advancement of morality does not occur if the person does not previously experience a cognitive conflict that breaks the security of his reasoning. Thus, through these conflicts, one develops one's own morality, according to the 6 stages he proposes.

The moral stages

In each of these stages, there is an interaction between two components: the social perspective and the moral content. In addition, the author assumes that the moral development stems from cognitive growth and the result of certain relevant social experiences..

Another characteristic of Lawrence Kohlberg's theory is that the process of accommodation proposed by Piaget is needed to move from one stage to another. Piaget's accommodation refers to the change of cognitive structures to integrate new experiences when the incoming information is too different or complex.

On the other hand, each stage forms a structured set. The sequence of the stages is invariant, and the progression of the stages is universal.

Levels and stages of morality

We are going to see the 6 stages proposed by the author, through which all people pass during the development of our morality. These 6 stages are organized around 3 moral levels (preconventional, conventional and postconventional); that is, each level includes 2 stages. Let's see the levels and their corresponding stages:

1. Preconventional level

The first level proposed by Lawrence Kohlberg includes the age from 4 to 10 years old, where the child presents an egocentric point of view (according to Piaget's theory).where the child presents an egocentric point of view (according to Piaget's theory). This level is subdivided into two stages: stage I, heteronomous morality and stage II, hedonistic.

1.1. Stage I: heteronomous morality

In the first stage, which is the one in which young children are, the orientation is towards punishment or obedience. That is to say, the child avoids breaking the rules for fear of punishment..

1.2. Stage II: hedonistic

Also called instrumental relativism, in Stage II proposed by Lawrence Kohlberg, rules are followed only when they are in the child's self-interest (i.e., when breaking them affects oneself), and when this interest is immediate (e.g., "do not steal because otherwise you may be robbed").

Conventional level

The conventional level appears at ages 10-13 years and older, where the other's point of view is taken into account. It includes stages III and III:

2.1. Stage III: interpersonal concordance.

Here the orientation is towards being a "good boy"; that is, one lives according to the expectations of the people close to him or her.. For example: "One should not steal because children are expected not to steal".

2.2. Stage IV: maintenance of the law

Also called the stage of social order, here the agreements that have been made are fulfilled, that is to say, people act thinking that "laws are there to be fulfilled.

3. Post-conventional level

The third and last level of Lawrence Kohlberg is the most advanced, and appears from early adolescence, early adulthood or may even never reach this level (depending on the person). It includes stages V and VI:

3.1. Stage V: social contract orientation.

The orientation of the individual is towards individual rights and democratically accepted law.. The rules are considered relative to the group because of the existence of a variety of value systems, and must be complied with because they are a "social contract".

3.2. Stage VI: universal ethical principles

The last stage, stage 6, which, according to Lawrence Kohlberg, only a few reach, would be like the supreme morality; in this stage, self-chosen ethical principles are followed. Agreements rest on such principles, which are usually those of equality, justice and peace..

Death and legacy

Lawrence Kohlberg dies on January 19, 1987 at the age of 59. However, his intellectual legacy lives on, his intellectual legacy lives on. Kohlberg's theory of moral development remains a reference, and is still relevant today. Thus, his knowledge continues to be transmitted, since his contributions were of notable importance and of great utility in understanding how morality develops and according to what we consider something as moral or not moral.

Bibliographical references:

• Ardila, R. (1989). Lawrence Kohlberg (1927-1987). Revista Latinoamericana de Psicología, 21(1): 107-108.
• Carrillo, I. (1992). Discussion of moral dilemmas and progressive development of moral judgment. Comunicación, Lenguaje y Educación, 15: 55-62.
• García Madruga, J.A., Delval, J. (2010). Developmental Psychology I. Cognitive and linguistic development. UNED. Madrid.