TY - JOUR A1 - Chazan, R. T1 - The Conscience in Psychological Theory and Therapy JF - Israel Annals of Psychiatry and Related Disciplines Vol. 17 (1979), pp. 189-200. N2 - Discusses the concept of the moral human in psychoanalytic theories, behaviorist philosophy, and the work of Piaget (1952) and L. Kohlberg (1971). Absolute morality implies the possession of an innate sense of right and wrong. This is denied by behaviorist theory. Psychoanalysis is committed to the idea of the moral human, and Freud conceived the superego as a parental introject whose function was to decide which impulses are acceptable and which are not. He is criticized by both E. FROMM et al (1960) and R. E. Money-Kyrle (1952) on the grounds of providing a basis for a merely relativist morality. Money-Kyrle's model of the conscience is consistent with absolute morality. Empirical evidence for such a morality is provided by Piaget's work with children and by Kohlberg's cross-cultural work. The implications of ethical theory for therapy are discussed. Y1 - 1979 ER -