In this paper, I argue that it is quite useful, both theoretically and empirically, to adopt a sociocultural approach to the study of moral development. This entails viewing 'moral functioning' as a form of mediated action, and moral development as the process by which persons gradually appropriate a variety of 'moral mediational means'. Mediated action entails two central elements: an 'agent', the person who is doing the acting, on the one hand, and 'cultural tools' or 'mediational means', the tools, means, or 'instruments', appropriated from the culture, and used by the agent to accomplish a given action, on the other. I make this argument drawing on recent work in sociocultural psychology, specifically the work of James Wertsch (1998). I also consider the work of both Carol Gilligan (1982) and Lawrence Kohlberg (1981Kohlberg ( , 1984 as illustrative examples, to show how their respective insights about moral functioning and the process of moral development can be interpreted from, and enriched by, a mediated action/socio-cultural perspective.Karen, a White college student (aged 18) attending a private university in New England, when asked to describe a real-life moral conflict or dilemma she has recently faced, talks about an approaching situation in which she and two of her room mates will have to decide whether or not to tell their fourth room mate, with whom no one gets along, that they do not want to share a room with her next year:Karen: It's not for a while yet, but I don't know how it's going to be resolved, because on the one hand, we really should say, 'yes, you can be roommates with us, and that is fine', but on the other hand, we don't get along, we argue and we fight…it's not a good situation. It would be much better for everyone, much happier, if she could find another place to live, but I don't know how you could say that. I haven't looked at this from my Kantian point of view, and I should probably consider it [smiles], but …Interviewer: What are the conflicts in this for you?Karen: The conflict is that I don't want to hurt her, we don't want to hurt her, but it will probably be me because I am kind of caught between the two. The others really don't want her and they don't care whether or not she is hurt or not. But I am afraid if we said 'we don't really want you to room with us' she is going to