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Moral principles are guidelines that people live by to make sure they are doing the right thing. These include things like honesty, fairness, and equality. A person's morality or moral principles can be different from someone else's because they depend on how a person was raised and what is important to them in life.
To better understand your moral principles or those of people in your life, it helps to know the different types of principles and examples of each. We also share their impact, how they develop, and their possible pitfalls. But first, let's look at how moral principles came about.
The history of moral principles dates back to Ancient Greece and Ancient China. Moral principles were important in these societies because they believed that to be successful, people needed a clear sense of right and wrong.
Research on moral principles began with Ancient Greek philosophers like Aristotle, who wanted to figure out the meaning of virtue. Later, moral principles were studied by philosophers like John Locke, Jean-Jacques Rousseau, and Immanuel Kant.
In the field of psychology, moral principles have been studied in the context of moral development. Psychologists seek to understand how children develop a sense of morality and how moral principles are applied in different contexts. For example, psychologist Lawrence Kohlberg studied moral development in boys from different cultures.
In the contemporary world, moral principles still play an important role and are considered guidelines for living life successfully. As an example, honesty is considered a moral principle because it keeps relationships strong.
There are two types of moral principles: absolute and relative.
Some examples of absolute moral principles include:
Examples of relative moral principles are:
Many people strive to live by the moral principles they believe in. But, it can be difficult to follow them all of the time, which is what makes following one's own personal moral values even more valuable.
There are many ways that a person might adhere to their moral principles: through thoughts and feelings, actions, or words. Below are some examples.
Moral principles are important for society because they help people learn how to get along and live well with each other. They teach us that all human beings deserve the same rights, which is why it's not okay to discriminate against someone based on their ethnicity or race. People who follow moral principles also tend to have a better quality of life than those who don't.
Moral principles can also impact an individual's identity and sense of self-worth. For example, someone who is honest may feel that they are a good person because they follow the moral principle to be truthful at all times. For people with strong values about equality, it might make them feel better about themselves when they don't discriminate against people who are different from them.
There are various ways to develop moral principles that transcend culture, religion, and country. If you are just starting on your moral journey, you might consider exploring morals in various philosophical texts.
However, there are also many practical steps a person can take to develop good moral principles:
There are some things that can go wrong when following moral principles. Below are some examples of how moral principles may not always guide you toward the best course of action.
First, it's possible to make judgments about others based on your personal values and not theirs. For example, if you think all women should dress conservatively because you believe dressing another way is immoral, you are passing judgment on others based on your own set of standards.
In addition, it can be hard to tell the difference between a moral principle and something that's cultural or part of your upbringing. For example, you might believe women should defer to their husbands because in your culture everyone has traditionally agreed with this idea for generations; however, if you were born into a different country where people don't think this way, you might not feel that it's morally right.
Finally, sometimes people can use moral principles to justify bad behavior like stealing or hurting others in some way. For example, if you steal because you believe it will help the poor, your thoughts could be twisted to say that stealing is okay.
In general, moral principles are beneficial both to society and the individual person. However, blindly following moral principles without considering their origin or using your judgment based on the situation can lead to issues.
The best course of action is usually to adhere to a loosely defined set of moral principles that align with your beliefs and society as a whole while also considering each situation individually. Also, weigh the cost of adhering to your morals in terms of its impact on other individuals. Aim to do right by you and by others so everybody wins.
Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
By Arlin Cuncic, MA
Arlin Cuncic, MA, is the author of The Anxiety Workbook and founder of the website About Social Anxiety. She has a Master's degree in clinical psychology.
