European Journal of Psychological Studies

68-107

Authors: Georg W. Oesterdiekhoff

Every human discipline, including the social sciences, depends on a general theory of the human being. The article argues that developmental psychology is the most fundamental theory of the human being, more relevant than any other theory of the human being such as rational choice, behaviorism, psychoanalysis or whichever. The crucial role of developmental psychology both to the theory of the human being and to the humanities originates in the fact that the biggest part of the premodern humankind from the Stone Ages up to recent times occupied psychological stages typical for children aged 5 to 12, while only humans socialised in modern societies during the past few centuries or generations attained stages typical for the adolescent stage of formal operations. This process of psychogenetic advancement has by no means finished by now but is still running right across the globe, with backbenchers and frontrunners. Without this reference point the process of globalization, the problems of the developing and threshold countries, and the many cultural conflicts and crises are not explainable. Formerly great traditions of the humanities knew about the childish psyche of premodern or primitive man, especially between 1840 and 1940. Since the victory of the two main ideologies of our time, cultural relativism and universalism of mind, over the theory of developmentalism during the Seventies of the past century the knowlegde about the psychogenesis of humankind, accomplished by the prewar traditions, was almost totally lost. However, the two ideologies, born for political and not scientific reasons, have destroyed the foundations of the humanities right across the five continents and the disciplines. Their recovery is only possible by the installment of the theory of developmentalism as the fundamental theory of the human disciplines. It is necessary to restore the great prewar traditions and to improve them alike. This article shows that the structural-genetic theory programme, developed over the past 30 years, goes even beyond the fathers of developmentalism. It shows that developmental psychology explains the whole history of the humankind, the history of the human being, his mind and consciousness, the history of population, economy, society, politics, law, religion, philosophy, sciences, law, morals, violence, delinquency, manners, arts, literature, etc. Therefore, the new theory programme imparts to the human disciplines the fundamental theory evolutionary theory brought to biology, and quantum mechanics and relativity theory to physics.

120-132

Authors: Christopher R. Hallpike

Anthropologists have long recognized that there has been a development in moral thinking as societies increase in complexity from band societies to literate civilizations. The increasing range of moral concern, the development from shame to guilt, and the increasing importance of intention in assessing responsibility are examples. There are clear resemblances between these findings and Kohlberg’s stages of moral development, which have been validated cross-culturally. His stages of pre-conventional, conventional, and post-conventional thought providing important insights into the moral thinking characteristic of band societies, tribal societies, and literate civilizations. But it is also concluded that, especially at the more advanced stages of moral thinking, philosophical and religious beliefs about the world have a powerful influence on moral values that is distinct from cognitive development.