Character is a developmental system embedded within the self-system. This Relational Developmental Systems (RDS) view is in juxtaposition with virtue theory and accounts of character in terms of moral identity. The character system includes 4 components 3 of which: basic moral cognition (as described within domain theory); other regarding; and self-regarding social emotional capacity, comprise "moral wellness." The fourth component "moral critical social engagement" defines mature moral character. The fourth component rests on the willingness of individuals to employ their moral reasoning to question the conventions of society and their personal moral positions. It also entails responsive engagement in moral discourse with others of diverging social positions and moral perspectives to arrive at shared morally defensible positions. This RDS perspective views character and the context as mutually constitutive and continuously interacting. Character is captured through its coherence within and across contexts rather than consistency of actions or moral choices.