In the following pages, the significance of each question is described in some
detail. The questions then form the foundation for selecting and organizing the
content of the chapters that address particular types of moral-development theory
(chapters 3 through 13).

How does the theory delineate the kinds of thought and action that
belong in the realm of morality?

It is apparent that not everyone defines the realm of morality in the same way.
Hence, it is important to learn what the term moral is intended to mean within a
given theory. Two perspectives toward identifying what sorts of thought and
action exemplify the moral domain are those of the objects encompassed and the
selection focus.

Moral values typically refer to the quality of relationships among people,
thereby reflecting standards of social conduct. In addition, some people extend
moral values beyond the realm of human relations to encompass relationships
between humans and a supreme being, so that failing to abide by God's laws
becomes a moral issue. Moral values may extend even further to include
nonhuman aspects of nature--animals and plants and even such inanimate
objects as lakes and mountains. For people who hold these extended views,
using cats and chimpanzees for medical experiments becomes a moral issue, as
do killing whales and infant seals, destroying ancient trees, and polluting
waterways. Hence, it is useful to learn what objects are embodied in a given
theory's definition of the realm of morality.

The diversity of perspectives that can direct the selection of what belongs in
the moral domain is illustrated by the following six foci-rules, justice,
compassion, obedience to authority, social consensus, and eclecticism.

Piaget (Chapter 4) wrote that "All morality consists in a system of rules, and
the essence of all morality is to be sought for in the respect which the individual
acquires for these rules" ( Piaget, 1965, p. 13).

In contrast, Siegel proposed that the moral domain concerns justice, which he
equated with a sense of fairness. This sense, he suggested, "involves an ability

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