Self-conscious roots of human normativity

Philippe Rochat

pp. 741-753

in: Glenda Satne (ed), Developmental, comparative and conceptual issues, Phenomenology and the cognitive sciences 14 (4), 2015.

Abstract

What are the roots of human normativity and when do children begin to behave according to standards and norms? Empirical observations demonstrate that we are born with built-in (implicit and automatic) orientation toward what is predictable and of the same - henceforth what deviates from it -, what is the norm or the standard in the generic sense of the word. However, what develop in humans is self-consciousness, transforming norms from "should" to "ought" and making human normativity profoundly different from any other forms expressed in infancy, other animals, or any smart machines. Self-consciousness is the ability to objectify oneself through the evaluative eyes of others. It sets us apart as a species and is at the roots of human normativity. A developmental blueprint capturing the progressive co-emergence of self-consciousness and normativity in the human child is proposed.