Intelligence may be taken as a necessary, but not sufficient, cause of moral advance. All morally advanced children are bright, but not all bright children are morally advanced.

Lawrence Kohlberg's quote, "Intelligence may be taken as a necessary, but not sufficient, cause of moral advance. All morally advanced children are bright, but not all bright children are morally advanced," addresses the relationship between intelligence and moral development. Kohlberg, a psychologist known for his theory of moral development, emphasizes that while intelligence is necessary for understanding and processing moral concepts, it is not enough on its own to guarantee moral advancement. In other words, being smart does not automatically equate to being morally or ethically sophisticated.

The quote suggests that moral advance—the development of higher moral reasoning, empathy, and ethical decision-making—requires more than just cognitive ability. While all morally advanced children may be bright, their intelligence alone does not account for their moral behavior. Instead, moral development involves other factors such as empathy, social influences, and personal experiences, which guide the formation of one's ethical values and actions.

Kohlberg’s work proposed a model of moral development that progresses through stages, from simple obedience to rules to more complex understandings of justice and universal ethical principles. His theory highlights that moral reasoning is an evolving process and that children who are intellectually capable may still be at different stages of moral reasoning. The distinction in the quote suggests that intelligence can help a child comprehend moral ideas, but it doesn't guarantee that the child will make ethical choices.

Ultimately, Kohlberg’s message is that moral advancement depends on a combination of cognitive ability and moral reasoning, not just intelligence. This idea challenges the assumption that intellectual capability directly correlates with ethical behavior, urging a more nuanced understanding of how individuals grow and develop morally.