The theory of cognitive development made by the famous Swiss psychologist Jean Piaget was very important for people around the world to understand that children actually developed intellectually from when they are born to when their childhood ends. Along with this major contribution he also discovered that moral development was closely linked to cognitive development. He found two clear cut stages, the first stage was called “morality by constraint” and the second stage was called “morality by cooperation”. In the first stage, a child's behavior can be described as very obedient because they will just follow whatever rules they are told without second thought, this is known as autonomic obedience. They think that all of the adults including their parents are very powerful and for that reason, they simply just comply to their rules without questioning their justice. In this stage of moral development, kids decide whether certain acts are “right” or “wrong” based on if certain actions have a punishment to them or not. In the 2nd stage of moral development, children begin to understand that there is no right or wrong and that morality is based on the intentions and not the consequences. This stage begins between the ages of 7 or 8 years and goes all the way until the age of 12. During the time from when a child is 5 and 8 their concepts of justice begin to change. The rules and notions that were given to them by adults start to be modified on a daily basis. This 2nd stage in moral development is very similar with Piaget’s stage of formal operations in cognitive development, where kids are starting to think about different alternatives and possibilities in different situations and can reason based on hypotheses. This enables youth to view at their problems from distinct points of view and to take many factors into consideration in solving them.
Piaget’s theory of Moral development was later expanded by a psychologist known as Lawrence Kohlberg. Kohlberg’s theory of Moral development consisted of 6 different stages grouped in pairs to make 3 different levels. The first level was called “Preconventional Morality”, the second level was called “Conventional Morality” and the third level was called “Post Conventional Morality”. Preconventional morality explored how a child determined what was right and what was wrong. It consisted of two stages, “Obedience and Punishment” and “Instrumental Purpose Orientation”. In the first stage children determined which rules to follow based on if they had a punishment or not. The second stage is called “Instrumental Purpose Orientation” which described the children’s morality as consisting on whether an action will make them happy (rewarded) or sad (punished). Level 2: Conventional Morality talks about how the children will conform to social rules is important in forming new relationships. Stage 3 is called “Good Child Orientation” where a child’s behavior is resolved on wanting the approval of others around them by trying to do good. Stage 4 is called “Law and Order Orientation” which refers to how social laws and rules are now what determine how a child will behave regardless of the intentions that they may have whether they are good or bad. In Level 3: Post Conventional Morality a child begins to understand that morality is made of abstract values that can be applied to multiple situations but at the same time comply with societal rules and laws. Stage 5 is called the Social Contract Orientation where the child perceives laws as flexible because when they aren’t consistent with the rights of someone there are alternatives to be thought about. Stage 6 is called the Universal Ethics Orientation and is considered the highest stage of function which most people will probably never reach. Interests and action become determined by internal ethical principals derived from ones self-consciousness.
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The first second and third stages of Kohlberg's moral development will be used in the analysis of Harry Potter's character throughout the Harry Potter Series, especially in the, first, second, fourth, fifth, and six books. Throughout the series, Harry Potter matures from Preconventional morality to conventional morality. This change especially occurs in the first 3 stages as Harry Potter’s way of understanding morality doesn’t only entail his intentions and personality but also the moral judgments of his close friends and even his enemies. This is evident in the choice he makes in the first book where he chose the school of Gryffindor, instead of Slytherin because he understood that the house of Slytherin had evil and bad intentions resided in it. He reaches the stage of instrumental purpose orientation with that decision. He then shows signs of reaching the stage of interpersonal cooperation by trying to free his godfather from prison. The conventional level is reached in the fourth book, Goblet of Fire, where he decides to stay in a tournament to avoid causing social disorder.
Books
The very first book starts when Harry, at 15 months old, was stranded and left on his Aunt and Uncle's front entryway. We discover that Harry is, in reality, supernatural, yet his new family isn't. Quick forward 10 years and Harry is a little, dismissed, and modest 11-year-old who lives in the pantry under the stairs. He is told over and over that he isn't deserving of the Dursley's (his auntie, uncle, and stout cousin) love. All of a sudden, letters start landing for Harry. Regardless of the Dursley's best endeavors, he learns of Hogwarts, the enchanted school in the UK, and chooses to visit. Harry has numerous experiences at his new school, meeting companions (Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley) and enemy (Draco Malfoy and Professor Severus Snape) alike. The principal book is stunning alone, truly, however, it really serves to set the phase for the remainder of Harry's instruction.
The second book starts at the Dursleys once more. Harry is caught without having the option to contact his companions. Ron, nonetheless, before long acts the hero in a flying vehicle. Harry goes to Ron's home and meets the greater part of his family, three of his more seasoned siblings he knew from Hogwarts, his more youthful sister, and his dad. The two return to Hogwarts and gain proficiency with the school is enduring an onslaught, and his educator is unfit to stop it. About without any assistance, Harry battles to spare the main home he's known.
We meet an inconceivable character in the third book; one of my supreme top choices. Educator Remus John Lupin ventures in to assume control over the Defense Against the Dark Arts classes and rapidly acquires the understudies' regard. He is amazingly competent in his field and kind to the understudies. The story follows the way of a got away detainee who is (apparently) chasing Harry down, however, at last, we discover that nobody is who they appear to be.
The fourth book starts with Harry's upsetting bad dreams. He learns of a challenge at school that could result in a contender's passing. Notwithstanding age confinements (one must be seventeen to enter the competition, Harry is fourteen) and his own absence of want to take an interest, Harry is compelled to contend. Individuals are strange around each corner and all thought processes are addressed even Harry's own. The book closes with a hypnotizing shock, setting the darker stage for the last couple of books.
Book five certainly has a progressively discouraged, melancholic mindset. The book covers currently include cool hues rather than the splendid energetic hues that we've become used to. Harry is banished and derided all through the school. Not many remain by him, including the cumbersome Neville Longbottom, Luna 'Crazy' Lovegood, Ron, and Hermione. Dumbledore, the dean who has dependably remained by him, will now never again talk or look at him. The new Defense Against the Dark Arts instructor, who is supplanted each year, is more than willing to single him out, incompletely because of her manager driving the smear crusade against Harry. Occasions in this book bring us trust, for example, the development of the DA (you'll need to peruse to see!) and the Weasley twins' exit, while others, for example, the passing toward the end, influence us to understand the genuine expense of war since indeed, the Wizarding World is at war.
The sixth book subtleties Harry's new life; he becomes fixated on bringing down Voldemort and doing anything he can to help. He additionally figures out how to adapt to common young hormones in light of the fact that, notwithstanding everything that is going on around him, Harry is just sixteen. Harry, presently knowing from the fifth book, encircle himself with his dear companions, the ones who stayed next to him regardless. He ends up acclimated with death, as his companions learn of passings consistently. The 6th book demonstrates the world at an open war before the end.
The last book starts with Harry's last days at the Dursleys' home, including their last farewell. Misfortune starts from the get-go in the book, with Harry's adored pet and confided in the gatekeeper both passing on inside the main couple hundred pages. Inside seven days, the Magical Government has fallen and Voldemort has dominated. Harry, Ron, and Hermione are presently on the run chasing for Horcruxes-supernatural things that keep Voldemort alive. The main issue with these Horcruxes? They can be anything-a football or a dolphin even. Harry faces demise on various occasions through the occasions of the book with the last time coming full circle in a faulty yet still touchy completion that stones the Wizarding and Muggle world alike.
Explanation of Development
In the first book, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone Harry Potter had to choose a department within the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Harry had the option of going to the sub school called Slytherin but then he knew that it was a house of evil acts. He knew because he had known that the leader of that school was Tom Riddle which was the person that had killed his parents. He knew that because of his encounter with Tom Riddle, in the book it states, “Voldemort,” said Riddle softly, “is my past, present, and future, Harry Potter. . . .” He pulled Harry’s wand from his pocket and began to trace it through the air, writing three shimmering words: TOM MARVOLO RIDDLE Then he waved the wand once, and the letters of his name rearranged themselves: I AM LORD VOLDEMORT”. He simply didn’t want to go to a school that was led by the man that murdered his very parents. This is an example of the first stage of preconventional morality “Obedience and Punishment”. This demonstrated Harry's ability to understand that if he were to have gone to the school of Slytherin there would have been a major punishment for him because of the sole existence of the evil Tom Riddle. Another example of this can be seen in the second book of the series called the Chamber of Secrets where Harry had to save a friend and the only way to do that was to fight Tom Riddle and risk his life.
Harry reaches the conventional stage of morality when he saves his godfather from prison. This unfolded when he was able to contact his parents, even though they were still dead and so he felt this overwhelming pressure to not do anything wrong because he would have been judged by his mom and dad severly. For that reason, he tried to do something good and save his godfather from being killed. His Godfather committed heinous crimes and so he decides to save him regardless. In the book Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by J.K. Rowling, “What's that?' he snarled, staring at the envelope Harry was still clutching in his hand. 'If it's another form for me to sign, you've got another -' 'It's not,' said Harry cheerfully. 'It's a letter from my godfather.' 'Godfather?' sputtered Uncle Vernon. 'You haven't got a godfather!' 'Yes, I have,' said Harry brightly. 'He was my mum and dad's best friend. He's a convicted murderer, but he's broken out of wizard prison and he's on the run. He likes to keep in touch with me, though...keep up with my news...check if I'm happy....”. This excerpt from the book displays a little bit of insight on the reason for why Harry Potter plans to save his Godfather. He simply wants to keep his parents happy all the while maintaining interpersonal connections. This is a great example of him reaching the third stage, the “Good Child Orientation”. He wants to keep the approval of his parents and in any way avoid their disapproval.
Another example of Harry’s exquisite moral maturation is seen in the fourth book called Goblet of Fire, where Harry didn’t at all want to attend a magic tournament. So he called quits on it from the magical goblet which is who decides the competitors of the tournament. The tournament was called the Triwizard Tournament. It was essentially a magical contest that was held so that the largest 3 schools of Magic, Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, Durmstrang Institute, and Beauxbatons Academy of Magic, would be able to compete with each other. For each school only one champion will represent them, and they will compete in 3 different tasks that tests each competitor’s courage, intelligence and magical ability. 3 competitors were then chosen by the Goblet but then an error occurred, and Harry Potter was suddenly named as the fourth competitor. The only issue was that he was not old enough and was at a clear disadvantage due to his lack of experience and youth. He could have simply rejected the idea of competing but then he knew that if he had done that it would have called for confusion and major disturbance in the social order of his organization as they will no longer have him represent them. Harry Potter knew that it was his duty to maintain the stability of his society's social order. This is an example of how he had matured enough to simply understand that in tough situations there are alternative choices to be made in order to appeal to the social masses and to just maintain the relationships that he has already.
As we know the fifth and sixth stages of moral development are usually the hardest to reach because of the level of difficulty it requires, which is the belief to have power strong enough to change preexisting laws and manifest a unique social order. One has to be able to think of alternatives that are very stable when changing such preexisting rules and laws, that is something that cannot be very easily achieved. Well, it seems that Harry Potter does come to achieve this great feat. In the fifth and sixth books, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. and Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. He felt powerful enough to alter the rules and create an entirely new social order that had the priority of making all the wizards happy. This shows evidence of Harry's Moral maturation into the social contract orientation stage of the post-conventional level. Further into the series in the 7th book called Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Harry becomes an outlaw and no longer lives in society in order to save people. He is willing to throw his own life away to defeat Voldemort so that his friends can live. It becomes an internal duty and mission for him to make that a reality as he believes the wizards are to save each other from death. At this point in the series, Harry has definitely reached the Universal Ethical Principle Orientation.
In conclusion, Harry's moral development was very evident as he started from a kid that simply follows rules and was easily influenced to someone that is a leader, very focused, socially active, and responsible.
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