A Critical Analysis of Moral Education According to Lawrence Kohlberg

Abstract

One of the most exciting questions for educational research and practice is whether or not man can be educated to act in morally good way. The most advocated position throughout the history of ethical thinking is that morality can and must be taught and learned. Yet, although there is almost unanimous agreement on the need to morally educate current and future generations, the consensus disappears when trying to define how this should be done and what values to convey.

The purpose of this article is to offer a critical review of the cognitive-evolutionary theory of moral education proposed by the American psychologist Lawrence Kohlberg, in which the development of moral judgment plays a predominant role. This objective is achieved based on the ethics of the virtues of Aristotle and Thomas Aquinas, and of several contemporary authors devoted to classical ethics. The rational deductive method is used to that end.

The study concludes that a person’s actual behavior is more important than the quality of his or her moral judgment. What is fundamental is to achieve a harmonious combination of reason, will, feelings and action.