The human being lives in society, interacting continuously with his fellow men and having his own acts as consequences on others. In this context, a whole code has been drawn up not only in terms of norms, but also in terms of morals, 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 develops little by little throughout our evolution and maturation. This is of enormous interest on the scientific level, and there are many authors who have explored and developed theories as to how morality appears in human beings. Among them we can find the theory of moral development of Jean Piaget , of which we are going to talk about throughout this article.

Piaget and Mental Development

Jean Piaget is one of the most renowned authors in the study of child development , being one of the fathers of developmental psychology.

One of his most important contributions is his theory of cognitive development, in which the child goes through different stages of development (sensorimotor, pre-operational, of concrete operations and formal operations) in which he reconfigures his own cognition as he organizes or assimilates information, as well as acquiring different mental faculties and abilities and making his thinking increasingly complex.

But although Piaget focused on the development of the mental faculties and thought/reason, he also valued and generated a theory of moral development.

Piaget’s 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 pre-operational period (previously it was considered that there was not enough mental capacity to talk about something similar to morality).

From that point on, the human being will develop an increasingly complex morality as his cognitive capacity becomes greater and with a capacity for abstract and hypothetical-deductive thinking. Thus, the evolution of morality depends on that of the cognitive abilities themselves: to advance it is necessary to reorganize and add information to the previously existing schemes , in such a way that a deeper knowledge can be developed and at the same time critical with the consideration that a determined behavior deserves.

In addition, interaction with peers will be necessary, as the main mechanism for acquiring information and leaving aside the self-centeredness typical of the early stages of life. Finally, it is essential that, little by little and as capacities and hypothetical-deductive thinking are acquired and mastered, a progressive distancing and independence from parents and their point of view is produced, this being necessary for a certain relativism and critical capacity of one’s own to be developed.

Although Piaget’s theory of moral development is not at present the best considered, the fact is that his studies served as an inspiration and even as a basis for the development of many others. This includes Kohlberg’s theory , probably one of the best known.

Stages of moral development according to Piaget

In Piaget’s theory of moral development, the author proposes the existence of a total of three phases or stages (although it is the last two that would be properly moral), which the child passes through as he acquires and integrates more and more information and cognitive skills. The three stages or stages proposed 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 the ages of two and six, language emerges and they begin to be able to identify their own intentions , although there is no understanding of the moral concept or the norms.

Behavioral patterns and limitations to behavior depend entirely on external imposition by family or authority figures, but the rule or moral standard is not conceived as relevant per se.

2. Solidarity among equals and moral realism

The second stage of moral development takes place between the ages of five and ten, with the rules appearing as something coming from outside but understood as relevant and obligatory, being somewhat inflexible.

The breaking of the rule is seen as something entirely punishable and seen as a fault, being therefore frowned upon. The idea of justice and honesty arises, as well as the need for mutual respect among equals.

Lying is frowned upon, and the punishment for dissent is accepted without taking into account possible mitigating variables or intentions, what is relevant being the consequences of the conduct .

Over time, rules are no longer seen as something imposed by others but still relevant per se without the need for 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 in the beginning of formal ones. At this stage the child has already reached the capacity to use logic when establishing relationships between the information and phenomena he or she is experiencing .

From about the age of twelve, the ability to operate with abstract information already exists. This gradually leads to a greater understanding of situations and the importance of different factors when taking rules into account, such as intention.

It is at this stage that a critical morality is reached, becoming aware that the norms are interpretable and that to obey them or not can depend on the situation and one’s own will: it is no longer necessary that the norm be always obeyed but that it will depend on the situation.

Individual responsibility and proportionality between action and punishment are also valued. Lies are no longer seen as negative per se unless they involve betrayal.

Bibliographic references:

  • Piaget, J. (1983). The moral criterion in the child. Editorial Fontanella.
  • Sanz, L.J. (2012). Evolutionary and Educational Psychology. Manual CEDE de Preparación PIR, 10.
  • Vidal, F. (1994). Piaget before Piaget. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.