We can define moral reasoning as "the value judgment we make in certain situations in which a certain option must be taken." So far we have mentioned moral reasoning, that is, how children from 6 to 12 years old are in a situation, but we must ask ourselves how they act morally.
Based on these statements, we can argue that a moral reasoning is a mental process that allows a person to judge the value of things, determine what is right and wrong. This reasoning implies a questioning about the essence and consequences of actions.
Moral reasoning begins to develop in childhood, from approximately 6 years of age. Until then, children are not aware of the rules and do not understand what is correct. As they develop and progress through the maturation process, children acquire notions about justice and begin to establish moral criteria.
Thanks to education in the classroom and the norms imposed by adults, children have a moral reasoning about how things should be and how they should act morally in different situations, but are they really faithful to their moral thoughts? Studies have shown that reasoning and behavior are related.
Legality can also be linked to moral reasoning as evidenced by the integration of the judicial system in a community with the aim of regulating acts that are criminal and produce moral and social damage. Legality is governed by the principle of justice that helps to define what is correct in each case.
These social norms also show the moral standards of a community that strengthen human individual level to the reaffirming the importance of doing good because good is an end unto itself and not a means, ie, doing good is the greatest ethical reward of happiness you can have.
The development of moral values is essential to act morally in situations that involve a sacrifice on the part of the person who carries it out, or a lack of reward, as well as in situations that involve pressure. If the values are part of the identity of the person, there will be a greater agreement between the moral reasoning and the related behavior without the external forces that condition it.