Attachment and morality: A Catholic perspective

Abstract

The 20th century witnessed an upsurge in academic interest in both the relational dimension of the human person and human moral behavior. These trends appeared in various disciplines including psychology, which produced many theories of relationality and a substantial literature on moral development. Among these, John Bowlby's attachment theory stands out for its extensive scientific validation. Because attachment pertains to the person's relational tendencies, it may also impact the person's moral development. Thus, the first major goal of this dissertation is to review attachment theory and research and explore its empirical relevance for human moral behavior. However, these trends have occurred in religious contexts as well. For instance, recent teachings of the Catholic Church have repeatedly emphasized the themes of relationality and morality in response to modern problems. It may be beneficial to attempt an integration of religious and scientific views so that they can benefit from each other. Thus, the second major goal of the present work is to explore Catholic teaching on human relationality and morality and the possibility of integrating this viewpoint with an attachment perspective. The conclusions show that attachment is quite relevant for human morality. Attachment security affects the internalization of parental norms, development of empathy, compassion and altruism, the propensity to forgive, sexual behavior, religious devotion, aggression, and vulnerability to addiction, all of which have important moral implications. Moreover, the Catholic view of the person contains a theologically and philosophically coherent notion of personhood as fundamentally relational. Catholic teaching on morality emphasizes natural inclinations, virtue, love, and communion with God. This viewpoint is largely compatible with the attachment paradigm, though some tensions are discussed. In most respects, the two are complementary, with the Catholic view providing a broad framework for understanding personhood and morality while the attachment paradigm shows concretely how people develop through relationships. By integrating these views, a more complete view of the human person and his/her moral capacities can be obtained.