Moral value
Moral values are things held to be right or wrong or desirable or undesirable. While
morality is sometimes described as '
innate' in humans, the
scientific view is that a capacity for morality is
genetically determined in us, but the set of moral values is acquired, through example, teaching, and imprinting from parents and society. Different
cultures have very different moral value systems. Moral values, along with
traditions,
laws, behaviour patterns, and
beliefs, are the defining features of a culture.
Nationalists believe that a
society needs one culture to hold it together, and that '
multiculturalism' is not desirable as it tends to lead to conflict.
In
Evolutionary psychology, moral values are seen as part of
cultural evolution. They reduce conflict within the group and make
reciprocal altruism possible. They are one mechanism by which the '
Tragedy of the commons', in which selfish individuals spoil things for everyone by taking more than their fair share, might be prevented.
Moral values are enforced by peer pressure,
conscience, disapproval, shunning, and only in some instances by law. They were effective in small communities before laws were formalised. They can also be sustained by the concept of '
status', a concept which has many different meanings in different societies. There is today significant disagreement over what role status plays in contemporary society and what it actually consists of.
The term "moral values" was brought to public attention and acquired significance as a political slogan when pollsters included it for the first time in U.S. presidential exit polls. Many voters who voted for
George W. Bush reportedly cited "moral values" as their reason for voting for Bush instead of
John Kerry.
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Morality*
Conscience*
Evolutionary psychology*
Tragedy of the commons
