This paper poses the following question: When, in spite of knowing that it is wrong, people go on to hurt others, what does this mean for the development of moral agency? We begin by defining moral agency and briefly sketching relations between moral agency and other concepts. We then outline what three extant literatures suggest about this…

Shows how the subject-object interaction of the dialectical model elucidates the interdependence of moral judgments and self-esteem. Suggests that both the effects of cultural and historical contexts on individual moral development and the effects of individual moral development on the family and society should be recognized. (JMB)