Moral Palettes

Diverging Morals in America

Photo by munshots on Unsplash

I came across the idea of moral palettes a few years back and have been fascinated by it ever since. The idea of morality has come up a lot recently in religious debates. People are curious where the sense of morals comes from. I believe that in the past, America had a more united culture and thus a more united moral framework. Now it seems that the underlying moral framework of our society has encountered a schism. What people hold most dear to them has become polarized. Because morality basics up the most basic of human reasoning, it is difficult for people to understand the position of those on the other side of the fence. Let’s take a look at the different palettes before exploring this idea more. These ideas here are derived from the Moral Foundations theory. It holds that there are 5 foundations.

Care/Harm

The first moral palette is care/harm, which is centered around compassion and empathy. People who use this palette believe that it is important to protect and care for others, and that causing harm to others is wrong.

Fairness/Cheating

The second moral palette is fairness/cheating, which is focused on justice and equality. People who use this palette believe that everyone should be treated fairly and equally, and that cheating or taking advantage of others is…