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Lawrence Kohlberg, born on October 25, 1927, in Bronxville, New York, was an influential figure in psychology, particularly known for his work on moral development. After enrolling at the University of Chicago, his exceptional academic performance allowed him to skip many courses, earning his bachelor’s degree in just one year. Kohlberg later completed his PhD in psychology there in 1958, basing his dissertation on research into adolescent moral decision-making. His groundbreaking work laid the foundation for a lifelong study of moral and ethical development in youth, leading to his renowned theory of moral development stages.

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Kohlberg moral development | Individuals and Society | MCAT | Khan Academy

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Our story about the messiness of teenage relationships between our characters is all set in Seattle, Washington, in 1999. We follow the story of our protagonist, the beautiful yet hostile Kat Stratford, navigating love and the future while watching out for her popularity-obsessed sister, Bianca, as she is finally starting to rebel against their strict father.

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Cameron James, a new student at Padua High School, quickly falls for Bianca Stratford, a popular sophomore whose overprotective father has a strict rule: Bianca and her older sister, Kat, can only date if they both do. But there’s a catch—Kat, a senior, is known for her sharp, independent attitude and has no interest in dating. Cameron teams up with his friend Michael to solve this dilemma by getting “bad boy” Patrick Verona to take Kat out, hoping this will clear the way for him to ask Bianca out. Initially reluctant, Patrick accepts the challenge, especially after Bianca's would-be suitor, the wealthy but self-centered Joey, agrees to pay him as part of his plan to date Bianca.

At first, Kat resists Patrick’s attempts but slowly warms up to him as he genuinely tries to connect. A party reveals Kat’s softer side to Patrick, but when she tries to kiss him, he pulls away, leading to some tension between them. Meanwhile, Bianca begins seeing through Joey’s shallow nature and is drawn to Cameron instead.

Joey, determined to go to prom with Bianca, offers Patrick more money to take Kat, leading to a breakthrough when Patrick serenades Kat with the school band and wins her over. As prom approaches, Kat hesitantly agrees to go with Patrick, and Bianca decides to go with Cameron. However, when Joey’s deal with Patrick is exposed at the prom, Kat is heartbroken and storms out. Bianca also confronts Joey and realizes her true feelings for Cameron, leading to a reconciliation between them.

Afterward, Cameron and Bianca begin to go out, and Kat finally gains permission to go to Sarah Lawrence. Kat reads her sonnet for the Shakespeare project "10 Things I Hate About You," being open and honest about her feelings for Patrick and forgiving him when he confesses his genuine feelings for her. She reads a heartfelt poem in class that reveals how much she cares for him, and he surprises her with a guitar bought with the money Joey paid him. In the end, Kat and Patrick reconcile with a kiss, and her father grants her permission to attend Sarah Lawrence College, respecting her independence.

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dissecting the relationships in 10 Things I Hate About You

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This theory was born from the Heinz case, in which a man required medicine for his dying wife but did not have the money for it. The chemist selling the medicine would not bargain or show any sympathy, so under the cover of the night, the man stole the medicine. This case was presented to groups of children of all ages to assess their stance on the crime and see how people reasoned through the moral dilemma. He came up with three (secretly six) stages that come with age, and each new stage replaced the reasoning for the earlier stage.

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Punishment v. Obedience

At this level, authority is outside of the individual, and reasoning is based on the repercussions, which are often physical. These rules are seen as fixed and without any inclination to change. Obeying the rules is to avoid punishment.

Individualism & Exchange

This is when children of this age recognize that just because one authority figure has a particular viewpoint does not mean another automatically has one as well.

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At this stage, authority has been internalized and has gone into question, which leads us to step 3.

Good Boy/Good Girl

At this point, the child is seeking validation for being "good" by family and friends so that they will act reasonably, considering more than just the thoughts of authority figures. This holds much conformity to influence relationships for the better.

Law and Order

The child becomes aware of the greater world and the rules placed within society. This is obeying to uphold laws and avoid guilt.

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In this stage, we are past law and order and thinking at an even higher level with higher moral reasoning.

Social contact

It is based more on individual rights and justice for the greater good. The person on this level becomes aware that despite the rules and laws that exist for the good of society, they understand that law and order are not always just or fair. They know that in these circumstances, the law must be broken despite the reason it is there.

Universal Ethical Principle. (Stage very few reach)

This is when individuals form their own sets of moral guidelines, which may or may not be within the law. These principles apply to everyone and everything regarding human rights and equality. The person holding these guidelines must be ready to defend them at any given time, even if it means breaking the societal mold no matter the consequences.

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Kendra Cherry, MSEd. “Levels of Developing Morality in Kohlberg’s Theories.” Verywell Mind, Verywell Mind, 7 Nov. 2022, www.verywellmind.com/kohlbergs-theory-of-moral-development-2795071.

Peters, Richard. “(PDF) Http://Www.Tandfonline.Com/Doi/Abs/10.1080/009140390909763.” The Place of Kohlberg’s Theory in Moral Education, 7 July 2006, www.researchgate.net/publication/232173635_httpwwwtandfonlinecomdoiabs101080009140390909763.

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While influential, Kohlberg’s theory of moral development faces significant criticism on several fronts.

Kohlberg proposes a sequence of moral stages, but critics argue he doesn’t provide sufficient evidence to prove that these stages represent a proper hierarchical structure. It’s unclear if each stage inherently builds upon the previous one in a way that leads logically and necessarily to the next stage. Kohlberg suggests that progression from one moral stage to the next relies on cognitive stimulation. Still, he doesn’t explain what cognitive stimulation entails or how it operates in moral development. Kohlberg includes the principle of justice as central to moral reasoning but does not fully address the development of empathy and concern for others, which many consider fundamental to morality.

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Bianca Stratford is the younger of the two Stratford sisters and is the more naive and attention-seeking sister. She craves popularity and fails to understand why Kat is so against her exploring and having a social life in High School. Kohlberg would assess Bianca at Stage two going on stage three for her moral development in the movie as she goes from a girl desperate for popularity to a girl who just enjoys her life as it comes no matter the effect it has on her reputation because she has enough self-respect not just to do something because everyone expects her to.

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At the beginning of this movie, Bianca is a character trying to conform to popularity. We see her being kind of this "good girl" because she craves validation and attention from everyone. She was in this stage of doing things that made her look good in the eyes of the school not necessarily following her heart

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Bianca when she's attempting to be popular and conform

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Bianca when she's attempting to be popular and conform

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10 Things I Hate About You- Bianca beats Joey

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Yes, Bianca is a near perfect subject for Kohlberg's Theory.

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Yes, Bianca is a near perfect subject for Kohlberg's Theory.

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Bianca's development with the story adapts well with Kholberg's theory because of her growth from a selfish on the inside, perfect on the outside attitude to a genuine, soft-hearted, and respectable person because of how she begins to listen and hear what her friends, family, and boyfriend think of her. She takes the initiative to become a better person, not one that everyone will see as another spoiled, pretty face, but for her heart.

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The theory was able to capture Bianca's Growth

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The theory was able to capture Bianca's Growth

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Bianca could have quickly fallen down the rabbit hole of popularity just to become another one of Joey's conquests because of her need to conform to her "Good Girl" stage, but her journey to realizing how toxic the cycle is and that she would not lose who she was to make herself into something she was not.

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The prom scene is when Bianca reaches one of the final stages of Kohlberg's Theory, the Social Contract Stage. She breaks the laws of popularity that she was obsessed with for the majority of the movie. She realizes that the guy she was lusting over is nothing more than a playboy, that her best friend is a mean girl, and that standing up for what you believe in means so much more than being liked. In a way, Bianca adapts her older sister's mindset towards the end of the movie.

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Bianca, an intermediate girl bridging young adulthood, gives us an exciting perspective because she breaks free of the mold that threatened to take hold of her and keeps her morals instead of demoralizing herself in ways that could be unhealed for a very long portion of her life.