Human beings live in society, continually interacting with their peers and having their own actions have consequences on others. In this context, an entire code has been developed, not only normative, but also moral based on shared beliefs about what is or is not acceptable or the values we follow.
Although from the moment we are born we are immersed in it, the truth is that morality does not arise spontaneously but rather develops little by little throughout our evolution and maturation. This is of enormous interest at a scientific level, and there are many authors who have explored and developed theories regarding how morality appears in human beings. Among them we can find Jean Piaget’s theory of moral development which we are going to talk about throughout this article.
Jean Piaget is one of the most recognized authors regarding study of child development being one of the fathers of evolutionary psychology.
One of his most important contributions is his theory of cognitive development, in which the child goes through different stages of development (sensorimotor, preoperational, concrete operations and formal operations) in which he reconfigures his own cognition as he organizes it. u assimilating the information, as well as acquiring different mental faculties and abilities and his thinking becoming more and more complex.
But although Piaget focused on the development of mental faculties and thinking/reasoning, he also valued and generated a theory of moral development.
Piaget’s theory of moral development is deeply linked to his theory of cognitive development. Morality is valued as a set of rules that the minor is capable of obeying and understanding to a greater or lesser extent, generally linked to the idea of justice.
The author considers that in order to be able to talk about morality it will be necessary to acquire a level of development equivalent to two years of age, equivalent to the preoperational period (previously it was considered that there is not enough mental capacity to talk about something similar to morality). moral).
From this point on, human beings will develop an increasingly complex morality as their cognitive capacity grows and their capacity for abstract and hypothetico-deductive thinking increases. Thus, the evolution of morality depends on that of one’s own cognitive abilities: to advance it is necessary reorganizing and adding information to previously existing schemes in such a way that an increasingly deeper and at the same time critical knowledge can be developed with the consideration that a given behavior deserves.
In addition, interaction with peers will be necessary as the main mechanism to acquire information and put aside the egocentrism typical of the first stages of life. Finally, it is essential that, little by little and as the abilities and hypothetical-deductive thinking are acquired and mastered, there is a progressive distancing and independence from the parents and their point of view, this being necessary for a certain development. relativism and own critical capacity.
Although Piaget’s theory of moral development is not currently the best considered, the truth is that his studies served as inspiration and even as a basis for the development of many others. This includes Kohlberg’s theory probably one of the best known.
In Piaget’s theory of moral development, the author proposes the existence of, as we have said, a total of three phases or stages (although it is the last two that would be properly moral), which the minor goes through as he acquires and integrating more and more information and cognitive skills. The three proposed stages or stages are the following
1. Premoral or adult pressure stage
In this first stage, which corresponds to a level of development equivalent to that of a child between two and six years of age, language emerges and they begin to be able to identify their own intentions although there is no understanding of the moral concept or norms.
The patterns of behavior and the limitations to it depend entirely on external imposition by the family or authority figures, but the rule or moral norm is not conceived as something relevant per se.
2. Solidarity between equals and moral realism
The second stage of moral development occurs between five and ten years old, with the rules appearing as something coming from the outside but understood as relevant and obligatory, being something inflexible.
Breaking the norm is seen as something entirely punishable and seen as a fault, thus being frowned upon. The idea of justice and honesty arises, as well as the need for mutual respect between equals.
Lying is frowned upon, and punishment for dissent is accepted without taking into account possible mitigating variables or intentions, what is relevant is the consequences of the behavior
Over time, rules are no longer seen as something imposed by others but they continue to be relevant per se without requiring an external motivation.
3. Autonomous morality or moral relativism
This stage arises approximately from the age of ten, in the stage of concrete operations and even at the beginning of formal ones. At this stage the minor has already reached the capacity to use logic when establishing relationships between the information and phenomena you experience
From approximately the age of twelve, there is already the ability to operate with abstract information. This gradually brings about a greater understanding of the situations and the importance of different factors when taking the rules into account, such as intention.
It is at this stage that a critical morality is reached, becoming aware that the rules are interpretable and that obeying them or not can depend on the situation and one’s own will: it is no longer necessary for the rule to always be obeyed but rather it will depend on the situation.
Individual responsibility and proportionality between action-punishment are also valued. Lying is no longer seen as something negative per se unless it involves betrayal.
