Moral Orientation as a Cue to Political Identity

Abstract

Previous research has indicated a relationship between the political orientations of conservative versus radical and the styles of moral reasoning characterized in Kohlberg's (1976) cognitive-developmental theory as the Conventional and Principled levels. Conservatives are more likely to reason at the Conventional level and radicals at the Principled level. The only interpretation of this relationship consistent with Kohlberg's theory is that radicals are relatively more morally mature than conservatives. An alternative view is that the Conventional-Principled distinction in moral reasoning is not developmental but reflects differences in the content of politicomoral ideology. Consistent with this view it was found that expression of these alternative moral reasoning styles conveys to others clear information about political identity but none about relative cognitive sophistication.