#lar.txt

Kolhlberg’s theory of moral development divides six stages of development into three different levels: pre-conventional, conventional, and post-conventional. Gleb actually falls in-between the pre-conventional and conventional levels, where he isn’t questioning authority, but at the same time he isn’t exactly following the Golden Rule by putting himself in the other guy’s shoes. I think a lot of this can be attributed to his own perspective of seeing himself as the “good guy,” to begin with, so while there is a desire to maintain social order by following authority, this desire isn’t driven by the need to support stereotypically good behaviour. 

Interestingly enough, Dmitry spends majority of the show trying to convince everybody that he’s the morally corrupt conman, but in reality he’s part of that 10-15% whom Kohlberg believed would be capable of the kind of abstract reasoning that’s required of the post-conventional stage. Dmitry’s own political views are pretty in line with the fifth stage of the social contract or utility and individual rights and the sixth stage of universal ethical principles, which in my opinion, is fairly evident from his interactions with Anya alone. For the former, its acceptable to disregard societal rules when they impede on rights such as life and liberty. In the latter, “right” behaviour is characterized by following self-chosen principles. However, its up to the individual to analyze these principles to make sure that they are rationally valid. Dmitry does this throughout the show. In following his own principles, he leaves Russia and its “irrational” rules despite his emotional ties to St. Petersburg; he can separate Anastasia from her father’s ideals and recognizes that Anya is not the one who killed his father; but more importantly, he can separate 27 year old Anya from the 8 year old princess he met. 

Gleb’s inherent fallacy is that he can’t separate 27 year old Anya from the 17 year old Anastasia he saw in passing.