Moral Development

Morality is a controversial topic and a source of debate in philosophy and psychology. One source of argumentation is due to different perspectives on whether morality is a matter of mind or heart or, to put it differently, reason or emotion. From the point of view of how morality develops in individuals, debates often center on whether children incorporate teachings from adults (representing societal values and standards) or construct ways of thinking about social relationships that entail understandings of issues pertaining to welfare, justice, and rights. Corresponding debates are over whether morality is a matter of habits or processes of reasoning.

The debates over morality parallel debates in psychology, other social sciences, and philosophy regarding the role of reasoning and its connections with emotions in human functioning. On one side are those who presume that, in most realms, people act out of habit or non-rationally. On the other side are approaches presuming that thought and reasoning are central. As succinctly put by the philosopher Martha Nussbaum (1999), “human beings are above all reasoning beings” (p. 71). To say that humans are reasoning beings doesn't, by any means, exclude emotions. Indeed, Nussbaum sees close links in that emotions do not stand alone or overwhelm thought, but are guided by ways of judging social relationships, are part of people's goals in life, and inform their understandings of other people and events. In such a framework, moral judgments include an integration of reasoning and emotions such as sympathy, empathy, compassion, and respect.

This entry focuses on approaches that have examined the development of moral reasoning, as integrated with emotions. First, the entry provides a historical overview describing early and influential theory and research on the development of moral judgments. It then describes research that modified those early theories through findings that young children construct moral judgments about welfare, justice, and rights, which they distinguish from the customs and conventions of society. Finally, the entry considers how moral and other types of social thought are involved in decision making.