Transition to this stage is usually at young adulthood (although it may arise in the thirties or forties). It is when the late adolescent or adult takes seriously the responsibility for his or her own commitments, lifestyle, beliefs and attitudes. Unavoidable tensions will have to be faced: individuality as opposed to being defined by a group of which one is a member; subjectivity, and the power of strongly felt but unexamined feelings, as opposed to objectivity and its requirement for critical reflection; self fulfilment or actualization as opposed to service to and being for others; commitment to the relative as opposed to struggling with the possibility of an absolute. The self now claims an identity no longer defined by a composite of one's roles or meanings to others. This identity is sustained through composing a frame of meaning which is conscious of its own boundaries and inner connections, aware of itself as a "world view". The person's own self (identity) and outlook (world view) are differentiated from those of others and are acknowledged factors in reactions, interpretations and judgements made on his or her own actions or those of others. Its intuitions of coherence in an ultimate environment are expressed in terms of an explicit system of meanings. This is the stage of demythologizing, with minimal attention to unconscious factors influencing judgement and behaviour.
The strength of this stage is related to the capacity for critical reflection on identity, self and on outlook, ideology. The dangers are: excessive confidence in the conscious mind and in critical thought; a kind of narcissism when the self, now clearly bounded and reflective, over-assimilates reality and others' perspectives in its own world view.
Readiness for transition to Stage 5 arises when the person becomes restless with self-images and outlook. Anarchic and disturbing inner voices are attended to. There may be elements from the childish past, images and energies from the deeper self, a flatness and sterility in the meanings the person currently serves. The neatness of his previous faith is broken into by stories, symbols, myths and paradoxes from his own tradition or from others. The person is disillusioned with the compromises necessary to maintain the logic of clear distinctions and abstract concepts and recognizes that life is more complex than these can comprehend. There is pressure towards a more dialectical and multi-levelled approach to truth.
Stage 4 in the system of faith development described by James Fowler. It may possibly be compared with the adulthood (generativity versus stagnation) stage of psycho-motor development of Erik Erikson. Together with the previous stage (synthetic-conventional faith) it can be compared with the abstract thinking of Piaget (also with the next two stages) and the social order level of moral development of Lawrence Kohlberg. Together with the following stage (conjunctive), it can be related to the 'rights of others' level of moral development of Lawrence Kohlberg, the genital stage of Sigmund Freud and the genital religion of Heije Faber.
