The author places his current theories on cognitive moral development in historical perspective. (DE)

This paper clarifies the development of moral judgement and the means by which educators can stimulate this development. Moral teaching is defined as the process of open discussion aimed at stimulating the child to move to the next step in his development. Research evidence shows that internalized principles of moral judgement cannot be taught,…

In a companion article (EA 504 897), a Yale professor discussed his psychological experiments to find some of the reasons for Nazi Germany's extermination of millions of Jews. Comments on that article. (JF)

A reasoned response to questions about teaching moral education in the schools. (Author/MLF)

Address at the 52nd Annual meeting of the National Council for the Social Studies.

Developmental findings on moral stages, moral-philosophic conceptions of principles, and the tenets of constitutional democracy cohere to define a philosophically and psychologically viable conception of moral education. Though outlined in 1909 by John Dewey, this conception has only recently gained the research support needed to make it truly…

Explains the Kohlberg moral stages in moral development, discusses the aims of moral and civic education, then describes the continuing experimental work at the Harvard Center for Moral Education. (Author/DW)

Major concepts embodied in moral development literature are reviewed. (MJB)

A 20-year study to monitor moral developmental stages is summarized with a focus on the invariant sequence and internal consistency of each stage. It is theorized that an individual passes through several stages in attaining moral judgment. As children grow older, they are able to integrate diverse points of view on a moral conflict. Each stage…

Moral education does not consist of the transmission of fixed values but in confronting students with genuine and difficult ethical conflicts to be resolved by judgments based on wide concepts of moral justice as applied to all members of society. (JD)

Explains a theory of legal socialization derived from cognitive developmental theory, using interview data from a developmental study of U. S. white youths from kindergarten through college. (JM)

New social studies curricula and methods need to be adapted to fundamental aims of education -- the stimulation of cognitive and moral development. Educational implications of Piaget's work in cognitive stage development and the author's work in moral stage development are based upon the cognitive developmental transition of John Dewey, who…