Children Quote by Jean Piaget
“With regard to moral rules, the child submits more or less completely in intention to the rules laid down for him, but these, remaining, as it were, external to the subject's conscience, do not really transform his conduct.”
About This Quote
Source Book: The Moral Judgment of the Child, Jean Piaget, 1932
Children follow rules without internalizing them, so external rules alone don’t change behavior.
In simple terms: Rules alone don’t change behavior.
Key Takeaway
Encourage internal moral reasoning.
Themes
development
morality
education
Mood
reflective
inquisitive
Type
educational
philosophical
When to use this quote
- parenting
- school curricula
- character education
Key Concepts
internalization
autonomy
ethical development
Questions to Reflect On
- How can we foster internal moral conviction?
- What experiences help children own ethical principles?
A Different Perspective
External rules may be ignored if not personally meaningful.
![“Another force to straighten the warped wood is political. Man is “an animal that, if he lives among other members of his species, has need of a master.” And that is because “his selfish animal propensities induce him to except himself from [moral rules] wherever he can.” Kant then introduced his…” quote by Stephen R.C. Hicks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/552/stephen-r-c-hicks-12692_political-man_another-force-to-straighten-the-warped-w_2941719.jpg)
