James's moral theory, primarily as set out in "The Moral Philosopher and the Moral Life" (in his "The Will To Believe" (1897)), is presented here as having a two-level structure, an empirical or historical level where progress toward greater moral inclusiveness is central, and a metaphysical or end-of-history level--James's "kingdom of…

Investigates the development of a perception of values in childhood. Perception of values is defined as being different than those of morality and conventions. Responses to seven scenarios are analyzed. Concludes that there is a distinct concept of values among children and that the instinct for this increases with age. (KO)

Provides a social domain theory analysis of the parents' role in moral development. Describes the domains of social knowledge. Proposes that the affective nature and cognitive aspects of parents' interactions with their children may facilitate children's moral development. Discusses the importance for parents to provide domain-specific feedback…

Proposes a new theory of self, based on the principles defined by Lawrence Kohlberg in his theory of moral development. The model sets forth self complexity (schemata) and biography (themata) as dimensions of self. Describes normal and atypical development arising from interaction of these components and assesses implications for practice. (KO)

Asserts that Lawrence Kohlberg's purely "formalistic" conceptualizations of moral judgment and associated measures may misrepresent the true nature of moral thought. Identifies logical inconsistencies in Kohlberg's reliance on the "form" of moral judgment and argues for a reconceptualization in terms of content. Discusses the…

Uses a review of Peter E. Langford's, "Approaches to Moral Reasoning," to posit a broad critique of the moral reasoning theories of Lawrence Kohlberg. Summarizes Jean Piaget's stance on moral reasoning and its contributions to Kohlberg's work. Suggests a series of new approaches for research methodologies and subject matter. (MJP)

Questions Lawrence Kohlberg's complexity hypothesis that individuals exhibit higher stages of moral judgement in complex socio-political surroundings. Tests the moral judgements of adolescent students from The Netherlands and the former German Democratic Republic. Results of the tests failed to support Kohlberg's hypothesis. (MJP)

Compares and contrasts the world views and psychological assumptions of communitarianism and liberal rationalism. Liberal rationalists come out of a strongly cognitive, individualistic psychological tradition while communitarians espouse social constructivism. Discusses the implications of this for moral education. (MJP)

Explores moral motivation grounded in the desire to maintain and express one's personal identity as a good person. Maintains that identity-based motivation, oriented towards the desirable rather than an instrumentalist approach, encourages a pluralistic and tolerant view of other norms. Discusses implications for moral education. (MJP)

Presents the results of a Polish study that generally supports Lawrence Kohlberg's claim of cross-cultural universality. Kohlberg's theory postulates a universal model of moral development that reveals an underlying organization of thought rather than specific positions. The study included 291 men and women, 15-80 years of age. (MJP)