John Wilson recently criticized Kohlberg's view that at certain stages of their development children are unable to understand moral reasoning of certain kinds. It is argued here that Wilson fails to cast doubt on Kohlberg's view, because his account of what it is to understand a reason is inadequate. (Author/RM)

Criticizes Piaget's theory of moral development. The author argues that Piaget's equilibrium concept does not adequately account for moral development. Because no evidence supports the theoretical sequence of moral developmental stages, he concludes that Piaget's theory is not a useful foundation for the design of moral education curriculum. (AM)

Moral education in boarding schools is the topic of this publication which includes summaries of the proceedings of the Bicentennial Summer Institute sponsored by Phillips Exeter Academy in June 1978. Interspersed throughout are passages from a journal kept by a participant in the Institute. The contextual and didactic approaches to moral…

One of the major purposes of values education is to help students develop more complex ways of reasoning--to facilitate cognitive development. The purpose of moral education in a cognitive developmental framework becomes the stimulation of the student's capacity for moral judgment. With this goal in mind, the teacher must first be prepared to…

This monograph critically examines the growth metaphor advanced by Lawrence Kohlberg as it relates to the development of a moral ideology. Kohlberg's stage theory is viewed as an ideology--that is, as a "style of thinking." Much of the critique in this study is informed by a perspective called "critical social theory." While…

Describes a study which showed that adolescents who reasoned at Kohlberg's "principles" level of moral reasoning are more tolerant than those who reasoned predominantly at the "conventional" level. Subjects in the study were senior high students in Ireland. Information was gathered through questionnaires. (RM)

Reasoning at the higher stages of Kohlberg's moral development approach is essential if there is to be a just society. Moral education can not, if it is to help in attaining such a society, be restricted to specific religious and political systems. (CJ)

The process by which human beings, as they grow toward maturity, develop values is not an automatic one. The process can be fostered by a number of teaching strategies. The strategies include the techniques of self-discovery, the provision of learning environments that encourage growth, and the practice of specific skills. This volume provides a…

Both critical thinking and much of moral education see the function of education as the bringing forth of the rational capacities of the child. Although there are similarities between the interest in critical thinking as the basis for educational reform and the educational concern with the moral development of school children, crucial differences…

Based on the assertion that current American culture neglects essential building blocks for males' character development, this book calls for a moral and ethical revival in the ways boys are raised. It is a parenting plan that seeks to protect and nurture male development from birth to adulthood. The book's first two chapters explore the…

This annotated bibliography focuses on values and moral education throughout the adult life span. The bibliography brings together the landmark literature on values and moral education and specialized topic areas that would interest those who work with adults. The bibliography is divided into five sections. Part I includes references about values…

The debate between objectivists, who see right and wrong as fixed, and the subjectivists, who see moral positions as the result of human needs and desires, is often neglected in studying moral development and the goals of moral education. Surveys involving 2300 respondents show the importance of this dichotomy. (IS)

The role of the college or university in facilitating the ethical and moral development of college students is addressed. The views of Kohlberg, Perry, and others who have studied ethical and moral development are briefly reviewed. These psychologists suggest that there is a hierarchy or continuum for the development of moral reasoning. Colleges…

This paper describes the developmental approach to moral education guided by the view that the student is an active constructor of knowledge who progresses through a succession of increasing psychologically and philosophically robust stages of moral reasoning. The developmental approach to moral education attempts to avoid the arbitrary norms of…

Children's behavior is not necessarily directly correlated with the values that they hold. Children may believe in honesty, yet behave dishonestly. It is necessary to understand the complex realities underlying children's behavior if values education is to have real meaning. (IS)