The Comparison between Piaget’s and Kohlberg’s Theories on Moral Development

Piaget and Kohlberg is to study the cognitive domain of human moral development. If Piaget pioneered the field of moral development from a cognitive study of precedent, Piaget, Kohlberg is following after development oriented research using cognitive moral development of the most outstanding representatives. This article from the perspective of moral psychology, comparing their moral development theory, revealing their theoretical differences and similarities. Compare their theory has important theoretical and practical significance, not only conducive to enrich and develop the theory of moral development research, but also for our country to contribute to moral education. Piaget and Kohlberg's theory of thinking is profound, though related, but self-contained, first with their research methods closely linked. This article from the outset the philosophy of moral psychology research methodology and specific methods for two-level theoretical study of two methods Pico do a comparative study. Pointed out that the methodology in philosophy, both are structuralism, specifically in the unity of structure and function, structure, and constructivism unity; in the specific methods, the story Piaget used the indirect method, Kohlberg method uses a dilemma story, which is still the basis to establish a set of detailed criteria to measure moral judgment approach. Then, from the perspective of moral psychology, respectively, from the essence of moral development and mechanisms of the factors that affect the moral development, moral development stage, the main line of moral development and research topics were four levels of the comparison. By comparison found between the theory of Piaget and Kohlberg have taken the biggest similarity is that psychological development perspective to explain the formation of human morality, mainly reflected in: First, the two are basically the moral concept of development is a longitudinal dimension in the relationship between thinking and behavior, both adhere to the \. Difference between the two is mainly reflected in: First, Kohlberg's research focuses on the development of moral thinking in different stages of development characterized by descriptions, rather than thinking of the formation process itself, Piaget's research focuses on the formation of thinking process itself, a description of the characteristics of the process theory only in its second place; Second, on the impact of social cognitive factors of moral development, Kohlberg has given high priority, but they ignore Piaget, which undermines a petri doctrine and integrity of the scientific; Third, Piaget's research is a pure research, and not just pay attention to theoretical quest Kohlberg, more emphasis on applied research. Piaget Kohlberg on the inheritance and development mainly reflected in: in Piaget's research, based on Kohlberg proposed a more detailed and systematic to three levels of six stages of moral development as the core of the theory. This paper concludes that both Picco implication in the theory of moral development and moral education reform ideas can be our traditional moral enlightenment, and from the change in moral outlook moral education and innovation both to do a specific explanation.