Final answer:
Jean Piaget believed that children think about morality initially in terms of heteronomous morality, viewing rules as fixed and external, and eventually develop autonomous morality, recognizing that rules are created by people and considering intentions when judging actions.
Step-by-step explanation:
Jean Piaget, a Swiss developmental psychologist, believed that children think about morality in two distinct ways. These two modes of thinking are part of his broader theory of cognitive development, which includes the moral development of children.
According to Piaget, the first form of moral thinking is known as 'heteronomous morality,' which applies to younger children. At this stage, they see rules as fixed and external, handed down by authorities and unchangeable. They judge the morality of an action by its consequences rather than the intentions behind it. The second form is 'autonomous morality,' which usually appears as children become older and start to understand that rules are made by people and thus can be challenged and negotiated. In this stage, intentions are taken into account when judging whether an action is right or wrong.
Therefore, Piaget concluded that children transition from a rigid adherence to rules and respect for authority (heteronomous) to a more reasoned understanding that accommodates individual intentions and the potential flexibility of rules (autonomous).