It may be helpful to differentiate between related terms, such as immoral, nonmoral, and amoral. Each has a slightly different meaning:
Immoral: Describes someone who purposely commits an offensive act, even though they know the difference between what is right and wrongNonmoral: Describes situations in which morality is not a concernAmoral: Describes someone who acknowledges the difference between right and wrong, but who is not concerned with morality
How Morals Are Established
Morality isn’t fixed. What’s considered acceptable in your culture might not be acceptable in another culture. Geographical regions, religion, family, and life experiences all influence morals. Scholars don’t agree on exactly how morals are developed. However, there are several theories that have gained attention over the years:
Freud’s morality and the superego: Sigmund Freud suggested moral development occurred as a person’s ability to set aside their selfish needs were replaced by the values of important socializing agents (such as a person’s parents). Piaget’s theory of moral development: Jean Piaget focused on the social-cognitive and social-emotional perspective of development. Piaget theorized that moral development unfolds over time, in certain stages as children learn to adopt certain moral behaviors for their own sake—rather than just abide by moral codes because they don’t want to get into trouble. B.F. Skinner’s behavioral theory: B.F. Skinner focused on the power of external forces that shaped an individual’s development. For example, a child who receives praise for being kind may treat someone with kindness again out of a desire to receive more positive attention in the future. Kohlberg’s moral reasoning: Lawrence Kohlberg proposed six stages of moral development that went beyond Piaget’s theory. Through a series of questions, Kohlberg proposed that an adult’s stage of reasoning could be identified.
Morals That Transcend Time and Culture
Most morals aren’t fixed. They usually shift and change over time. Ideas about whether certain behaviors are moral—such as engaging in pre-marital sex, entering into same-sex relationships, and using cannabis—have shifted over time. While the bulk of the population once viewed these behaviors as “wrong,” the vast majority of the population now finds these activities to be “acceptable.” In some regions, cultures, and religions, using contraception is considered immoral. In other parts of the world, some people consider contraception the moral thing to do, as it reduces unplanned pregnancy, manages the population, and reduces the risk of STDs. Some morals seem to transcend across the globe and across time, however. Researchers have discovered that these seven morals seem somewhat universal:
Be braveBe fairDefer to authorityHelp your groupLove your familyReturn favorsRespect others’ property
Examples of Morality
The following are common morality examples that you may have been taught growing up, and may have even passed on to younger generations:
Be polite Have empathyDon’t stealTell the truthTreat others as you want to be treated
People might adhere to these principles by:
Being an upstanding citizenDoing volunteer workDonating money to charityForgiving someoneNot gossiping about othersOffering their help to others
To get a sense of the types of morality you were raised with, think about what your parents, community and/or religious leaders told you that you “should” or “ought” to do.
Morals vs. Ethics
Some scholars don’t distinguish between morals and ethics. Both have to do with “right and wrong.” For example, your community may not view premarital sex as a problem. But on a personal level, you might consider it immoral. By this definition, your morality would contradict the ethics of your community.
Morals and Laws
Both laws and morals are meant to regulate behavior in a community to allow people to live in harmony. Both have firm foundations in the concept that everyone should have autonomy and show respect to one another. Legal thinkers interpret the relationship between laws and morality differently. Some argue that laws and morality are independent. This means that laws can’t be disregarded simply because they’re morally indefensible. Others believe law and morality are interdependent. These thinkers believe that laws that claim to regulate behavioral expectations must be in harmony with moral norms. Therefore, all laws must secure the welfare of the individual and be in place for the good of the community. There may be times when some people argue that breaking the law is the “moral” thing to do. Stealing food to feed a starving person, for example, might be illegal but it also might be considered the “right thing” to do if it’s the only way to prevent someone from suffering or dying.
A Word From Verywell
It can be helpful to spend some time thinking about the morals that guide your decisions about things like friendship, money, education, and family. Understanding what’s really important to you can help you understand yourself better and it may make decision making easier.
