There’s no question that morals vary from person to person. Most people would be horrified if you mentioned taking your dog outside and shooting it. But when it comes to other animals, public opinion greatly varies. Ask a farmer if it’s okay to kill cattle and use their meat for food, and you’re probably going to get a different answer than if you asked a vegan the same question. Or if you asked someone who is Hindu. What’s interesting about morals is that not only do they vary across cultures and religions, but they also change over time and within the same person, depending on the gravity of a situation.

Morality is even an evolutionary trait, according to some psychologists. Dr. Jean Decety, Professor of Psychology and Psychiatry at the University of Chicago, wrote in an article exploring the topic, that "our morality has been formed over thousands of years from the combination of both our genes and our culture, rather than just one or the other. This genetic and cultural evolution has shaped our brains to care for others, react to those who try to harm us, and to create moral rules that help us to live together successfully.”

Dr. Decety went on to say that there are “three main lines of evidence that support the view that our brains are wired for morality”. The first being that “the building blocks of morality have been observed in non-human animals”. Rodents and primates exhibit “prosocial behaviors”, opting to help and console one another when someone is in trouble or distressed. Chimpanzees console victims after fights, and rats choose to help fellow rodents before seeking a food reward. Although monkeys and rats don’t have the same depth of moral code as humans, the fact that they display empathy towards each other suggests that morality is a product of evolution.

The next reason Dr. Decety cites to support that we are “wired for morality” is the fact that even babies exhibit early signs of having morals. Psychologists who study human development note that babies start forming social relationships before they’re even a year old. And toddlers as young as 18-months realize when their mothers are upset and try to comfort them with patting, hugging and sharing toys. Impressively, babies even understand the concept of fairness by the time they’re a year old. When a group of 1-year-olds witnessed cookies being distributed to a group, they understood and expected everyone to receive the same amount. 

Next, Dr. Decety mentions that “the parts of the brain involved in moral judgments are beginning to be identified”. Neuroscientists have examined how moral behaviors change in people who have brain lesions, and it has been determined that our brains don’t simply have one moral center. Various parts of the brain handle different aspects of making moral decisions (emotional reactions, self-control, intelligence, caregiving behaviors). When someone experiences trauma to their ventromedial prefrontal cortex in early childhood, they’re more likely to break moral rules and cause physical harm to others. People who have suffered damage to their ventromedial prefrontal cortex “also tend to experience less empathy, embarrassment, and guilt”.

We reached out to Dr_vinci to hear where the inspiration for this post came from, and he told us he had heard the question somewhere else and was so curious that he decided to start his own discussion around it. When asked if he trusts law enforcement, he told us that he still does, but that the government makes questionable calls sometimes. "I'm fairly happy with the laws we have, other than some weapon regulations." He also notes his frustration with the banning of airsoft guns and "Black Rifle Coffee Company" due to its name. While gun control laws are a controversial topic, Dr_vinci does not consider them a moral issue. "I think there's no problem with us having better guns or switchblades," he told us. Whether you agree with him or not on these issues, it is a great reminder of how relative morality is.

While morality is in our nature, various factors play a part in moral relativism, including cultural differences. Aside from my earlier example of eating meat, a few other topics that can be controversial depending on the culture and religion are dancing, polygamy, gambling, drinking alcohol, abortion, sex before marriage, having children outside of marriage, assisted suicide and gay marriage. Many of us know exactly where we stand on those topics and may not even consider some to be moral issues, but a 2014 study by the Pew Research Center surveyed 40 countries on some of these subjects to see just how opinions varied across the world. Views on extramarital affairs, for example, were similar in most countries. But in France, only 47% of those surveyed considered having an affair unacceptable, and 40% did not consider it a moral issue at all. 

Morals also shift over time. At one point in time, unmarried men and women could not even be alone in a room together without it being considered sinful. And while slavery is now viewed as an atrocity, it was once widely accepted in the United States and many other countries. Both racism and homophobia were normalized for many years behind the guise of religious morality, but times are changing. Sadly, there is still progress to be made in combatting racism, homophobia and transphobia, but hopefully eventually, these hateful beliefs will be unanimously regarded as immoral.

Morals can also be fluid for individuals, depending on the desperation of their current situations. When asked point-blank if stealing is wrong, most people would probably say yes. But if you ask a single mother fleeing from an abusive relationship who’s unsure where her child’s next meal will come from, she might justify stealing a sandwich from a grocery store for her daughter. Viewing morality as too black and white and ignoring the nuance of individual situations can lead to dangerous decision making.

Many of the laws mentioned on Reddit may seem harmless at first glance, but they can disproportionately target poor and homeless individuals. In the United States in particular, homelessness has been notoriously criminalized, despite the fact that there are over 550,000 people without homes. Being homeless itself is not illegal, but there are plenty of restrictions around where individuals can camp, loiter, and panhandle. Many businesses also will not allow people to use their restrooms without purchasing something first, leaving homeless people with no access to toilets and running water.

Taking food out of trash cans and picking up clothes retailers dump behind their stores seem like perfectly harmless ways for the poor to gain resources and reduce waste, but even those acts are illegal in certain places. With no access to food and no money for clothing, it’s ridiculous to criminalize acts of survival. Even those who have cars but are living in poverty are faced with a mountain of restrictions. It can be extremely challenging to find places that allow overnight parking, and sleeping in a car is illegal in many places as well, with the risk of racking up exorbitant parking tickets. For individuals who don’t feel safe returning home, perhaps due to an abusive partner or parent, they should feel secure knowing that there is somewhere to go.

Lastly, sometimes individuals need to break laws intentionally to fight against discrimination. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was arrested five times during his life, fighting for equality. Susan B. Anthony was arrested for voting in New York in 1872. In 2020, over 17,000 people were arrested during Black Lives Matter protests following the murder of George Floyd. In times of injustice, doing something illegal can be the best way to illustrate your strong morals.

While we can be certain that morals will never be universally agreed upon, let's not forget that it's okay to question the laws that are in place. Sure, we agree to abide by them, but that does not require abandoning critical thinking. Let's all weigh the pros and cons of breaking some silly laws, and consider what our consciences think. I listened, and my conscience is saying that adding a quarter to someone else's parking meter will bring some good karma.

Have you ever been caught breaking a law by doing something you considered moral? We'd love to hear about it in the comments, and don't forget to upvote all of the responses you found most shocking.