It is hardly plausible to view a whole succession of logics as an evolutionary and functional program of innate wiring, particularly in light of the fact that the most mature logical structures are reached only by some adults.
Lawrence KohlbergRead
It seems obvious that moral stages must primarily be the products of the child's interaction with others rather than the direct unfolding of biological or neurological structures.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Moral development in children is influenced more by social interactions than by biology alone.
This quote by Lawrence Kohlberg emphasizes the importance of social interactions in the development of a child's moral reasoning. It suggests that children learn moral values and ethical principles through their experiences and relationships with others, rather than solely from innate biological factors or their neurological development.
Themes
MoralityChild DevelopmentInteractionLearningSocial
In practice
Example use cases
In a lecture about child psychology, a professor used this quote to highlight the significance of peer interactions in shaping moral values.
More from Lawrence Kohlberg
All quotes βThe unit of effectiveness of education is not the individual but the group. An individual's moral values are primarily important for society as they contribute to a moral social climate, not as they induce particular pieces of behavior.
Lawrence KohlbergRead
All individuals in all cultures use the same thirty basic moral categories, concepts, or principles, and all individuals in all cultures go through the same order or sequence of gross stage development, though they vary in rate and terminal point of development.
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If our psychology seems crude and weak in what it can say about the great human experiences, it is better to make that clear and to mark where we must go than to ignore it.
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Although it may be true that the notion of teaching virtues such as honesty or integrity arouses little controversy, it is also true that vague consensus on the goodness of these virtues conceals a great deal of actual disagreement over their definitions.
Lawrence KohlbergRead
The arguments about parents being too permissive and kids growing up without superegos are not based on fact. Our research tells us that the family is not the only purveyor of morality.
Lawrence KohlbergRead
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