Epistemic Subjects, Discursive Selves, and Dialogical Self Theory in the Psychology of Moral and Religious Development: Mapping Gaps and Bridges

Abstract

This article charts various communalities and differences between cognitive-developmental and socio-cultural models in the psychology of moral and religious development, with particular attention to Hubert Hermans's model of the dialogical self. The authors propose that, despite marked differences, even oppositions, between conceptual models and visions of the human subject in these two ways of conceiving psychological functioning, the cognitive-developmental approach and the narrative-dialogical approach show meaningful correlations and overlap. Arguing for a “meta-dialogical” perspective benefiting from both cognitive-developmental and dialogical self contributions, the article goes on to explore some implications for moral and religious education.