New maps of development: new visions of maturity.

Two modes of moral reasoning are distinguished in boys' and girls' discussions of moral dilemmas: one oriented to justice and rights, one to care and response. These different modes are associated with different forms of self-definition and reflect different images of relationships. The contrasting images of hierarchy and web derive from childhood experiences of inequality and interdependence which give rise to the ideals of justice and of care. The representation of these two lines of development and their interplay yields a new mapping of human growth.