Methodology and comparative research of moral evaluations

Abstract

Th e article justifi es the principles and methods to study moral evaluations — approval or condemnation of any deviations from accepted norms of behavior. It shows that moral evaluation is based on the ideas prevailing in a society on good or evil, good or bad, proper or illegal, right or wrong people’s acts. An evaluation is seen through an approval or condemnation of one`s acts by the majority of members of the society to which one belongs. On the base of a comparative analysis of the World Values Survey data, the author identifi es and explains diff erentiation of moral values in the various types of modern societies. Th e degree of freedom of value priorities and standards of behavior choice existing in these societies are considered as one of the most important diff erentiating factors of moral evaluation. Cross-country comparisons suggest that the degree of such freedom should be higher in stable countries and lower in transforming countries. Th is degree depends on the duration of the country’s democratic regime, which provides observance and respect of human rights. Th e higher the duration of the democratic regime, the greater the extent to which not only the ruling elite, but also ordinary citizens take into consideration a right of every person to choose the behavior standards.

Keywords:

moral evaluations, value priorities, civic morality, moral permissiveness