Moral reasoning is an essential part of how humans develop and a fundamental aspect of how human societies change over time. On a developmental timescale, reasoning about interpersonal disagreements and dilemmas spurs age-related changes in moral judgments from childhood to adulthood. When asked to distribute resources among others, even young children strive to balance competing concerns with equality, merit, and need. Over the course of development, reasoning and judgments about resource distribution and other moral issues become increasingly sophisticated. From childhood to adulthood, individuals not only evaluate acts as right or wrong but also take the extra steps to rectify inequalities, protest unfair norms, and resist stereotypic expectations about others. The development of moral reasoning also enables change on a societal timescale. Across centuries and communities, ordinary individuals have called for societal change based on moral concerns with welfare, rights, fairness, and justice. Individuals have effectively employed reasoning to identify and challenge injustices. In this article, we synthesize recent insights from developmental science about the roles of moral reasoning in developmental and societal change. In the concluding section, we turn to questions for future research on moral reasoning and change.

道德推理是人类发展的重要组成部分，也是人类社会随时间变化的基本方面。在发展的时间尺度上，对人际分歧和困境的推理会刺激从童年到成年的道德判断与年龄相关的变化。当被要求在其他人之间分配资源时，即使是年幼的孩子也会努力平衡相互竞争的问题与平等、优点和需求。在发展过程中，关于资源分配和其他道德问题的推理和判断变得越来越复杂。从童年到成年，个人不仅会评估行为是对还是错，还会采取额外的措施来纠正不平等，抗议不公平的规范，抵制对他人的刻板印象。道德推理的发展也促成了社会时间尺度上的变化。跨越几个世纪和社区，普通人呼吁基于对福利、权利、公平和正义的道德关注的社会变革。个人有效地运用推理来识别和挑战不公正。在本文中，我们综合了发展科学最近关于道德推理在发展和社会变革中的作用的见解。在结论部分，我们转向未来关于道德推理和变革的研究问题。我们综合了发展科学最近关于道德推理在发展和社会变革中的作用的见解。在结论部分，我们转向未来关于道德推理和变革的研究问题。我们综合了发展科学最近关于道德推理在发展和社会变革中的作用的见解。在结论部分，我们转向未来关于道德推理和变革的研究问题。