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Democratic Morality: Kohlberg’s Moral Reasoning and the Democratic Peace Movement

Abstract Development theory emphasizes moral process and argues that individuals progress through a series of moral stages. This article offers a framework for using Kohlberg's moral development theory to understand the international phenomenon of peace between democratic nations. It takes this individualistic theory and expands it into the international dimension, arguing that societies also embody moral norms. Understanding societal norms offers an explanation of why leaders of liberal regimes may not easily choose to declare war on other morally progressive regimes and provides an understanding of the normative explanation of the democratic peace. Such an understanding of the moral development of individuals and societies informs the teaching, research, and practice of foreign policy and public administration.