Has western social morality improved or declined recently?

[Pythagorean]

Hi, all. Please vote in the poll above:

I was wondering whether you think that the moral condition of the west has improved or declined over the past 20 years or so? If you think it has improved perhaps you could say a few words as to in what way this is so. Also, if you think it has declined maybe you could say why.

Thanks

[Arjen]

I must admit that the option: "Moral standards have remained about the same" comes closest to my opinion. However I would like to have another option added:
"I didn't know of any wester moral standards; could you please clarify that?"

[Didymos Thomas]

Moral standards I think have improved. Imagine calling out for women's rights a thousand years ago.

[krazy kaju]

By whose moral standards are we judging?

[Didymos Thomas]

I don't think it's anyone in particular, just a general summary.

[aaron the red]

i'm sorry but i won't be voting because i dont know. i think we are in a pivital time morally. we're leaving the church which has always been the center of ethics, and that has obviously taken its toll. If some new structure will rise to take its place we will evolve morally, but the future depends on that if.

[Holiday20310401]

Originally Posted by Pythagorean

Hi, all. Please vote in the poll above:

I was wondering whether you think that the moral condition of the west has improved or declined over the past 20 years or so? If you think it has improved perhaps you could say a few words as to in what way this is so. Also, if you think it has declined maybe you could say why.

Thanks

I believe that there have been a lot of problems solved but I see morality as evolving as science and technology evolves. We are at a point where science is evolving exponentially and morality is having a hard time keeping up. We have new problems that are constantly arising like...

• our standard of living as a western society is much higher and we really haven't paid a price, although that could very well change with the recession.
• poverty is becoming an extreme
• we have yet to create a real free trade
• I speak for Canada when I say we need a military
• need to get rid of capitalism with media's evolution
• corporations are becoming too greedy
• the government is not advocating the people when it comes to the battle for ethical standards with public vs. businesses. I speak of the health care system.

[urangutan]

I am ashamed to say that morals have declined dramatically. More and more often we now use the law to measure our behaviour toward one another, be it on the road, the street or just about anywhere in public. Courtesy was a gesture of good will, now it is a simple case of oh yeah, whatever, I am going nowhere anyway. I will say it is a hard subject to broach, without leaning toward retribution.

[Khethil]

I voted "about the same"

Being a fan of studying history, what I see now that I judge to be morally good or bad appears to be pretty much the same mix as it always has been through pretty much every culture I've learned about - same as western social morality.

... the colors might be different, the good sometimes less or more pervasive, but still the same basic mix of human goodness and badness (although I must admit, I think the Oreo Pizza did bring us all to a New Low )

[Afallucco]

I was not able to vote, but it's not that morals have improved or declined, they have been redefined.