Abstract
This paper discusses how to use cognitive developmental psychology to create a business ethics course that has philosophical integrity. It begins with the pedagogical problem to be overcome when students are not philosophy majors. To provide a context for the practical recommendations, Kohlberg's cognitive developmental theory is summarized and then the relationship between Kohlberg's theory, normative philosophy, and teaching is analyzed. The conclusion recommends strategies that should help overcome some of the vexing pedagogical problems mentioned in the first section. In particular, the approach is designed to teach an appreciation for the practical necessity of philosophy in a pluralistic society.
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David E. Cooper is Associate Professor at the Northern Michigan University. He has been N.E.H. Fellow at the University of New York in Binghamton and the University of Chicago. His most important publication is ‘Social Intervention, Harms, and Accountability’, to appear in a volume on harm, published by Franz Steiner Verlag, Wiesbaden, FRG.
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Cooper, D.E. Cognitive development and teaching business ethics. J Bus Ethics 4, 313–329 (1985). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00381774
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00381774