What is Morality?

Morality refers to the set of standards that enable people to live cooperatively in groups. It’s
what societies determine to be “right” and “acceptable.”

Sometimes, acting in a moral manner means individuals must sacrifice their own short-term
interests to benefit society. Individuals who go against these standards may be considered
immoral.

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:1

 Be brave
 Be fair
 Defer to authority
 Help your group
 Love your family
 Return favors
 Respect others’ property

Morals and Ethics

Some scholars don’t distinguish between morals and ethics. Both have to do with “right and
wrong.”2

But some people believe morality is personal while ethics refer to the standards of a community.

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.