The Moral Judgment of the Child

This classic study examines a problem that stands at the heart of society: How does a child distinguish between right and wrong? Professor Piaget and his colleagues begin their investigation by analyzing the rules of the game - in this case a seemingly simple game of marbles - as handed down from one group of children to another. They observe the child's total acceptance of the consensus rules and describe the moral pressure of the group on the individual. Piaget proceeds to an analysis of lying, cheating, adult authority, punishment, and responsibility, noting and evaluating the changing attitudes of growing children toward these moral realities. The book concludes with a comparison of the findings of this significant study with those theories in social psychology and sociology that bear directly on the moral development of the child.