ABSTRACT
The culture pattern transmitted from one generation to another is mainly a product of the influence of the moral function upon the developing individual. The pattern of a culture is a unity; it cannot be constructed by an individual, however tyrannical and powerful or clever and persuasive, out of the "raw material" of humanity, it can only be modified. Most of the confusion and sterility of discussions on the moral function is due to lack of attention to this process of defence. The moral function is a protective function. The activity of the moral function is one of Man's most precious cultural achievements, and until we know much more about it a dogmatic attitude is more likely to be injurious than helpful. The growth of the moral function is best outlined as the change from dogmatism to exploration and choice; from sudden, all-or-none, explosive responses in situations involving moral choice to graduated, controlled responses; from automatism to love.
