ABSTRACT
Inevitably this discussion needs to explore where people and children get their ideas about what is right and wrong, and why on occasions, people claim they are doing the ‘right thing’ when to the eyes of most people and the law, they are doing wrong. This
The very term ‘moral’ development may produce a response that is uncomfortable. The word ‘moral’ is seen by some as old fashioned and judgemental. It may be considered as an obsolete idea in a society that is perceived as so mixed up that no one set of values and beliefs govern the rules of right and wrong. Yet moral development remains vital to the formation of a person’s own autonomy and for the establishment of a safe ordered society.
To understand what morality means to society in general, one need only look as far as a reputable dictionary definition. This provides insight into a generally accepted understanding of what the word means for the person in the street. The Concise Oxford English Dictionary defines morality as ‘principles concerning the distinction between right and wrong and good and bad behaviour – a system of values and moral principles’ (Oxford Reference Online Premium 2010).
