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Journal of Moral Education

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Moral development and reality: Beyond

the theories of Kohlberg, Hoffman, and
Haidt
a
Matthew Schertz
a
The University of Montana, Missoula, MT, USA
Published online: 03 Jun 2015.

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To cite this article: Matthew Schertz (2015): Moral development and reality: Beyond the theories
of Kohlberg, Hoffman, and Haidt, Journal of Moral Education, DOI: 10.1080/03057240.2015.1053737

To link to this article: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/03057240.2015.1053737

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 Journal of Moral Education, 2015

BOOK REVIEW

Moral development and reality: Beyond the theories of Kohlberg, Hoffman,

and Haidt (3rd edn), by John C. Gibbs, 2013, New York, Oxford University Press,
355 pp., $49.99 (pbk), ISBN 978-0-199-97617-1

One rarely encounters a book on moral development that can serve as the main
text for a graduate course while simultaneously enticing the scholar with a com-
pelling case for a synthesized approach to the field. Gibbs’ book, now in its third
edition, accomplishes this by presenting an astute, contemporary approach to
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cognitive moral development that breaks away from the problems inherent in a
stage-based theory. As a teaching tool, chapters on Kohlberg and Hoffman provide
the structure for Gibbs’ comprehensive and up-to-date literature review. Although
much of Gibbs’ own theory is grounded in Kohlberg’s foundational contributions
to moral development, he does not shy away from the shortcomings of Kohlberg’s
framework. Gibbs incorporates several dimensions of Hoffman’s empathic modes
as well, but he also emphasizes the need to go beyond empathy by highlighting the
dangers of over-arousal and bias. Graduate students in education will especially
benefit from his additional chapter on treating antisocial behavior. Elements of
Gibbs’ treatment sequence can help teachers develop strategies for addressing
cognitive distortions. Gibbs’ third edition also presents a new chapter that delves
into the challenges posed by Haidt’s work on moral intuition. In his concluding
chapters, Gibbs advocates a unified theory of justice and caring wherein moral
exemplars are those that transcend selfishness, moral relativism and factionalism
by pursuing the ‘reality’ of a universal, collective humanity. In a surprise twist,
Gibbs does not rely on transcendental religions or Platonic tradition to make his
case. Rather, he focuses a chapter on near death experiences to lend support for
both a universal moral order and to assert that transcending the ego is possible,
even for those who previously had limited empathic awareness.
In the new chapter on Jonathan Haidt’s moral foundations theory, Gibbs
addresses Haidt’s challenges to the popular paradigms of justice and caring. Haidt
posits that alternative intuitive modules such as loyalty, authority and sanctity can
be just as formative as caring and can also undermine purported higher stages of
cognitively based, moral development theories. Cognitive role taking and universal
ethical principles may only be the bastion of a limited number of individuals who
were enculturated through diverse role-taking experiences.
Gibbs calls on Damon and others’ recent work on sharing among preschoolers
to challenge Haidt’s assertion that intuitive modes necessarily underlie future
moral behavior. Gibbs points to young children’s aversion to disadvantageous
 2 Book review

inequality and asserts that children can both be empathically disposed and capable
of cognitive moves which can challenge egocentric bias.
Ultimately, Haidt’s adherence to moral intuitions undergirds a relativistic moral
psychology that Gibbs insists we must rally against, as Kohlberg did in the wake
of the holocaust. Moreover, Gibbs is likewise concerned that Haidt ‘ignores … the
emergent striving for authenticity of self often seen in adolescence’ (p. 33). For
Haidt, a functionalist approach to behavior ultimately honors ‘what is useful, effec-
tive or successful - not necessarily what is true’ (p. 27). There is no quest to
become fully actualized, for to do so would expose one to unnecessary danger by
straying out of custom complexes or ignoring intuitive norms. Haidt ultimately
recapitulates an existential dilemma in a world where a universal code of morality
wanes under urban blight. Gibbs claims that Haidt’s descriptive work is skewed
not only by his insistence on reducing our moral behavior to that which ultimately
adheres to self-preservation and social harmony, but also by holding to a position
that prevents the self-actualization of the moral exemplar.
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Throughout Gibbs’ distinguished career he has worked directly with Kohlberg,

Hoffman and Haidt, which enables him to reflect on their collective contributions
with a nuanced understanding that might evade other scholars. Moreover, his text
extends well beyond theory by highlighting scores of clinical studies. His Equipping
Youth to Help One Another (EQUIP) method for treating antisocial and criminal
behavior is especially noteworthy because it blends elements of cognitive behavioral
therapy with peer-based, mutual help approaches. This melding of methodologies is
long overdue in forensic work. Gibbs’ ground-breaking clinical contributions mirror
his theoretical insights and ultimately lend credence to his lifespan approach to
moral development. Irrespective of one’s own paradigmatic assumptions, Gibbs,
who writes with both conviction and integrity, invites us to revisit our field with a
level of depth that forces our hand. A scholar cannot ask for a greater gift.

Matthew Schertz
The University of Montana, Missoula, MT, USA
matthew.schertz@umontana.edu
© 2015, Matthew Schertz
http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/03057240.2015.1053737