Moral Development and Reality : Beyond the Theories of Kohlberg, Hoffman, and Haidt

__Moral Development and Reality__ explores the nature of morality, moral development, social behavior, and human connection. By comparing, contrasting, and going beyond the prominent theories mainly of Lawrence Kohlberg, Martin Hoffman, and Jonathan Haidt, the author addresses fundamental questions: What is morality, and how broad is the moral domain? Can we speak of moral __development__ (Kohlberg, Hoffman), or is morality entirely relative to diverse cultures (Haidt)? What are the sources of moral motivation? What factors account for prosocial behavior? What are the typical social perspective-taking limitations of antisocial youths, and how can those limitations be remedied? Does moral development, including moments of moral inspiration, reflect a deeper reality? Exploring these questions elucidates the full range of moral development, from superficial perception to a deeper understanding and feeling. Included are foundations of morality and moral motivation; biology, social intuitions, and culture; social perspective-taking and development; the stage construct and developmental delay; moral exemplars and moral identity; cognitive distortions, social skills deficiencies, and cognitive behavioral interventions or moral education; and, finally, near-death experiences and the underpinnings of the social and moral world. Cover 1 Moral Development and Reality 8 Copyright 9 Dedication 10 Contents 12 Foreword 14 Preface and Acknowledgments 16 About the Author 22 1. Introduction 26 Social Perspective-​Taking, Reversibility, and Morality 27 The Right and the Good: The Moral Domain 31 Introducing Chapters 3 through 10 36 2. Beyond Haidt’s New Synthesis 44 Three Themes 45 Conclusion and Critique 60 3. “The Right” and Moral Development: Fundamental Themes of Kohlberg’s Cognitive Developmental Approach 70 Early Childhood Superficiality 72 Beyond Early Childhood Superficiality 82 Stages of Moral Judgment Development 93 Evaluating Haidt’s Challenge 112 Summarizing Comment 113 4. Kohlberg’s Theory: A Critique and New View 116 Background 117 Kohlberg’s Overhaul of Piaget’s Phases 119 Adult Moral Development in Kohlberg’s Theory 126 A Critique and New View 128 Conclusion 133 5. “The Good” and Moral Development: Hoffman’s Theory and Its Critics 136 The Empathic Predisposition 137 Modes and Stages of Empathy 139 Empathy and Prosocial Behavior: Cognitive Complications and Empathy’s Limitations 154 Empathy, Its Cognitive Regulation, and Affective Primacy 165 Bloom’s Challenge to Hoffman’s Theory: Against Empathy and for Rational Compassion 166 The Empathic Predisposition, Socialization, and Moral Internalization 171 Conclusion and Critique 179 6. Moral Development, Moral Identity, and Prosocial Behavior 182 Prosocial Behavior: The Rescue 182 Individual Differences in Prosocial Behavior 186 Conclusion: A Spurious “Moral Exemplar” 198 7. Understanding Antisocial Behavior 204 Limitations of Antisocial Youths 204 A Case Study 221 8. Treating Antisocial Behavior 228 The Mutual Help Approach 229 Remedying the Limitations and Generating Synergy: The Cognitive Behavioral Approach 237 Social Perspective-​Taking for Severe Offenders 256 9. Beyond the Theories: A Deeper Reality? 260 Two Case Studies 262 A Deeper Reality? 269 Moral Insight, Inspiration, and Transformation 285 Conclusion 292 10. Conclusion 294 Revisiting the Issue of Moral Motivation and Knowledge 297 Moral Perception and Reality 305 Appendix 314 Notes 322 References 342 Author Index 394 Subject Index 410 "Moral Development and Reality explores the nature of morality, moral development, social behavior, and human connection. By comparing, contrasting, and going beyond the prominent theories mainly of Lawrence Kohlberg, Martin Hoffman, and Jonathan Haidt, the author addresses fundamental questions: What is morality, and how broad is the moral domain? Can we speak of moral development (Kohlberg, Hoffman), or is morality entirely relative to diverse cultures (Haidt)? What are the sources of moral motivation? What factors account for prosocial behavior? What are the typical social perspective-taking limitations of antisocial youths, and how can those limitations be remedied? Does moral development, including moments of moral inspiration, reflect a deeper reality? Exploring these questions elucidates the full range of moral development, from superficial perception to a deeper understanding and feeling. Included are foundations of morality and moral motivation; biology, social intuitions, and culture; social perspective-taking and development; the stage construct and developmental delay; moral exemplars and moral identity; cognitive distortions, social skills deficiencies, and cognitive behavioral interventions or moral education; and, finally, near-death experiences and the underpinnings of the social and moral world" -- University Press Scholarship Online Moral Development and Reality explores the nature of moral development, human behavior, and social interconnections. The exploration elucidates the full range of moral development, from superficial perception to a deeper understanding and feeling through social perspective-taking. By comparing, contrasting, and going beyond the key theories of preeminent thinkers Lawrence Kohlberg, Martin Hoffman, and Jonathan Haidt, John C. Gibbs tackles vital questions: What exactly is morality and its development? Can the key theoretical perspectives be integrated? What accounts for prosocial behavior, and how can we understand and treat antisocial behavior? Does moral development, including moments of moral inspiration, reflect a deeper reality? This fourth edition of Moral Development and Reality is thoroughly updated, refined, and expanded. A major addition considers Paul Bloom's important challenge to Hoffman's theory. This book will have broad appeal across academic and applied disciplines in social and developmental psychology, education, the helping professions, and human development. Complete with case studies and chapter questions, it serves especially well as a text in advanced undergraduate and graduate courses in social and developmental psychology, education, the helping professions, and human development. "Moral Development and Reality: Beyond the Theories of Kohlberg and Hoffman explores the nature of moral development, social behavior, and human interconnectedness. By comparing, contrasting, and going beyond the works of preeminent theorists Lawrence Kohlberg and Martin Hoffman, author John C. Gibbs addresses fundamental questions: What is morality? Can we speak validly of moral development? Is the moral motivation of behavior primarily a matter of justice or of empathy? Does moral development, including moments of moral inspiration, reflect a deeper reality?" "Primarily intended for advanced undergraduate and graduate students in the social and behavioral sciences, counseling, and education, Moral Development and Reality will also appeal to scholars in these disciplines."--Jacket. Moral Development and Reality explores the nature of moral development, human behavior, and social interconnections. This fourth edition is thoroughly updated, refined, and expanded. Complete with case studies and chapter questions, it serves as a text in advanced undergraduate and graduate courses in social/developmental 3sychology and human development.