Exploring the Stages of Moral Development

This coming Sunday, November 21, Sandy Westin will lead the discussion as we continue to explore from whence morality cometh.

In the past few weeks we’ve explored the sources of our species’ sense of morality. This week Sandy Westin will lead us in exploring how that sense develops – or doesn’t develop - within an individual as they grow into adulthood. Swiss developmental psychologist Jean Piaget defined four stages of cognitive development during his remarkable life and career (1896-1980). Building on Piaget’s work, Harvard professor Lawrence Kohlberg (1927-1987) expanded that structure into six stages of moral development within three major phases of the development of reasoning ability. We will try out a few moral dilemmas to see how our own reasoning and experience do or do not fit into Kohlberg’s and Piaget’s stage theories.

Sandy Westin earned her Bachelor’s degree at Washington State University in the combined fields of Human Development and Psychology. She currently serves as the North American Regional Coordinator of United Religions Initiative, and lives in Johnson City.

Please join us. We'll be delighted to see you. And as ever, superior childcare is provided.