Moral Development In To Kill A Mockingbird - 1231 Words

Lawrence Kohlberg is known for his theory of moral development developed in 1958. His theory was dependent on the thinking of Swiss psychologist Jean Piaget and American philosopher John Dewey. It consists of three levels of moral reasoning: preconventional, conventional, and postconventional. These levels are based on the degree to which an individual accommodates to the conventional standards of society. Each level aquires two stages that serve as different standards of sophistication in moral reasoning. Overall, Kohlberg affirms that moral development is a process of maturing that emerges from thinking about about moral issues (â€Å"Kohlberg’s Moral Development†). Jem Finch is one of the main characters in Harper Lee’s novel To Kill A†¦show more content†¦Evidently, negative actions would result in some form of punishment. For example, a little kid at school wouldn’t steal someone else s toy because they’d fear getting punished by the t eacher. For stage two, there is a minor difference in one s reasoning. Stage two now has to do with mutual benefits and focuses on individualism (Kohlberg s Theory). Morals are now guided by what is seen as â€Å"fair†. This stage portrays that the â€Å"right† behavior means acting in one’s own finest interest (A summary of Lawrence). An example for this would be someone being rude towards another individual because that same person was being rude earlier to them (Lawrence Kohlberg). Kohlberg’s second level from his theory is conventional moral reasoning. This is primarily people following social norms and customs (Kohlberg’s Theory). The laws and rule are sustained simply because they are laws and rules that must be followed (â€Å"Kohlberg’s Moral Development†). The second level is generally found in society hence the name of this level being â€Å"conventional†. Stages three and four are included in the conventional level. Stage three focuses heavily on peer approval (Lawrence Kohlberg). Individuals are merely trying to please others so they will follow rules or do what others want them to do in order to gain their approval (â€Å"Kohlberg’s Moral Development†). Many will followShow MoreRelatedMoral Development In To Kill A Mockingbird1384 Words   |  6 PagesJem’s Moral Development Lawrence Kohlberg was an American psychologist and educator known for his theory of moral development. He was a professor at Harvard University before he was a developmental psychologist. He later moved into the field of moral education. Jean Piaget (Swiss psychologist), John Dewey (American philosopher), and James Mark Baldwin (American philosopher and psychologist) all influenced Kohlberg’s theory of moral development, though Piaget s work heavily influenced Kohlberg’sRead MoreTo Kill A Mockingbird Moral Development Analysis1486 Words   |  6 Pages Lawrence Kohlberg was an American phycologist who also was the author of the three stages of moral development. Kohlberg graduated from the Phillips Academy in Andover, Massachusetts in 1945 after serving in the merchants marines. Lawrence was also working on a ship owned by Zionist military organization which would try to smuggle Jewish refugees into Palestine past the British blockades (Doorey). Once Kohlberg was do ne serving in the military organization he came back to the U.S and went toRead MoreEssay On Moral Development In To Kill A Mockingbird1319 Words   |  6 PagesIn books, many characters go through moral development. The book To Kill A Mockingbird shows many examples of characters that go through this development and characters that help others develop. While there are many different characters in the book, the focus is on the development of Jem and Scout Finch with the help of Atticus and Calpurnia. The kids are introduced when they are young and over the span of the book, the adults teach and help them, making them have a different understanding of theRead MoreExamples Of Moral Development In To Kill A Mockingbird3558 Words   |  15 PagesMoral Stages In the book to To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, a young girl is being put through a variety of challenges that have set her up to learn about aspects of life. Scout, the young girl is being put through situations throughout the book, and is going through different moral developments that have been set up into three levels by Kohlberg, a psychologist. Kohlberg gathered this information by giving people of different ages, different questions that would identify their moral stage (â€Å"Kohlberg’sRead MoreThe Three Stages Of Moral Development In To Kill A Mockingbird1478 Words   |  6 Pagesrelating to moral reasoning and how it develops. In these three levels of moral reasoning there is six sub-stages make his theory more reasonable. The first stage of this theory is Preconventional Moral Reasoning. This first stage is when a child accepts and believes the rules of an authority figure such as parents and teachers. According to Kohlberg children under 10 years of age follo w this Preconventional Moral Reasoning. The second stage of Kohlberg’s theory is the Conventional Moral ReasoningRead More##ohlbergs Theory Of Moral Development In How To Kill A Mockingbird By Harper Lee1503 Words   |  7 PagesIn the novel, How to Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee, it is very noticeable that Jean Louise Finch, who is also known mostly as Scout throughout the novel, has a growth mindset; this growth can be connected to Kohlbergs Theory of Moral Development. Kohlbergs Theory of Moral Development is a three-stage system of ideas on how moral reasoning development ( ¨Kohlbergs Theory ¨). Within all those three steps there is a total of six detailed steps explaining how ones moral reasoning grows, whetherRead MoreTo Kill A Mockingbird Essay1505 Words   |  7 Pagesunique teaching experience for Atticus to provide to Scout and Jem. These laws followed the Southern societal ideas of the separation between races, but also demonstrated a division between a community where individuals held different moral ideas. To Kill a Mockingbird explores human morality from the perception of a six year old child, providing a different perspective on important issues of this time period. Scout’s understanding of morality develops from her once simple idea of an individual beingRead MoreTheme Of To Kill A Mockingbird1699 Words   |  7 Pages The Pureness of Mockingbirds In 1960, Harper Lee published one of the most controversial books of our time. To kill a mockingbird contains three debatable themes; racism, good and evil, and morals. Harper Lee uses three children and rape trial to portray these topics. These themes are present throughout the story of a small Alabama town divided over a rape trial including an African American man and a young white girl. Lee’s novel is still disputed over to this day. One of the book’s centralRead MoreTo Kill A Mockingbird Reflection Essay744 Words   |  3 PagesTo Reflect on Mockingbird To Kill A Mockingbird reflected the contentious race relations of the 1930’s-1960’s, and sparked nationwide examination of racism. There are countless court cases that closely resemble the trial that took place in the novel, such as the Scottsboro Trials. The book was published right before the culmination of the Civil Rights Movement. In the years after the book’s publication, the Freedom Riders made their famous trip across the South, and the March on Washington took placeRead MoreEssay To Kill a Mockingbird: An Analysis of Discrimination893 Words   |  4 PagesTo Kill a Mockingbird: An Analysis of Discrimination The most important theme of the 1960 Pulitzer Prize winning novel To Kill a Mockingbird is author Harper Lee’s tenacious exploration of the moral nature of people. Lee tenaciously explores the moral nature of human beings, especially the struggle in every human soul between discrimination and tolerance. The novel is very effective in not only revealing prejudice, but in examining the nature of prejudice, how it works, and its consequences