This paper considers Winnicott's notion of maturity as distinct from the themes of consolation and renunciation in the Freudian interpretation of culture. Starting with his thoughts on war, I draw out the implicit distinctions in Winnicott's argument between political calculations, psychological motives, and moral values. Second, I trace the development in his line of thinking from the discussion of war to the social problem of maturity and the permanent task of social defence. In the final part of the paper, I outline the matrix of maturity in the mother-infant relationship as the psychoanalytical basis of Winnicott's contribution to moral culture.