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
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.
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote highlights that while many agree on the importance of virtues like honesty, there is significant disagreement on what those virtues truly mean.
Lawrence Kohlberg points out that the general affirmation of virtues such as honesty and integrity masks deeper disagreements about their definitions. While society tends to align on the value of these virtues, the interpretation of what constitutes honesty or integrity can vary significantly among individuals and cultures, which complicates the process of teaching these values effectively.
Themes
HonestyIntegrityVirtuesDefinitionsEducation
In practice
Example use cases
In a philosophy class discussing ethics, you might reference this quote to illustrate the complexities of moral definitions.
More from Lawrence Kohlberg
All quotes →The 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
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.
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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.
Lawrence KohlbergRead
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.
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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