Broadening the scope of moral developmental theory

Abstract

Triune ethics meta-theory (TEM) differs from other theories of moral psychological development, integrating neurobiological, psychological, philosophical, and developmental literatures on moral functioning. TEM grounds itself in an evolutionary systems approach specifi cally Evolutionary Relational Developmental Systems Meta-Theory. TEM identifi es ethical orientations that emerge from global brain states rooted in human brain evolution: self-protectionism, engagement, and imagination, respectively. Each global brain state displays different goals: selfpreservation, affi liation, and refl ection, respectively. Adult functioning is largely the result of dynamic interactionism during sensitive periods of development, building implicit sociomoral understandings that guide moral behavior. Alternative moral developmental pathways may ensue from psychosocial experience during development.