Everyone everywhere shares seven universal moral rules, Oxford University finds

All societies are held together by seven universal moral rules, which include deferring to superiors and respecting the property of others, Oxford University has concluded.  Although many western cultures are moving towards more liberal, less hierarchical organisations, the new research suggests that traditional power structures and basic values of charity and fraternity are the cornerstones of successful societies.

The huge study of 60 different cultures around the world found that all communities operate under seven basic moral codes. Those universal rules are: help your family, help your group, return favours, be brave, defer to superiors, divide resources fairly and respect the property of others. Encompassed within the code would be caring for frail relatives, passing on property to offspring, going to war if needed to protect the group and respecting elders.

The character traits held for every kind of community, be they traditional hunter-gatherers or advanced western civilisations, helping to uphold civilised society and foster social cooperation, researchers found. “Everyone everywhere shares a common moral code,” said Dr Oliver Scott Curry, lead author and senior researcher at the Institute for Cognitive and Evolutionary Anthropology, at Oxford.

“These seven moral rules appear to be universal across cultures because people face the same social problems.

“Even if some of these traits look right wing or conservative, for example deferring to authority, left wing people will still have a group loyalty and deference to someone or something.

“This shows there really is more that unites us than divides us.”

Universal moral codes
Help your family

Being a loving mother, a protective father, caring for a frail relative, passing on property to your offspring

Help your group

Adopting local conventions, Joining in with group activities and events, promoting group harmony, unity, solidarity

Return favours

Repaying a debt, fulfilling a contract, Forgiving people when they apologize

Be brave

Being brave, courageous, heroic especially in battle, putting yourself at risk to help others

Defer to superiors

Being deferential, respectful, loyal, or obedient to those above you in a hierarchy, using appropriate forms of address and etiquette

Divide resources fairly

Dividing the spoils of a collective enterprise equally, being willing to negotiate, compromise, come to an agreement

Respecting others’ property

Not thieving, stealing, robbing, not damaging others’ property, not trespassing


https://www.telegraph.co.uk/science/2019/02/08/everyone-everywhere-shares-common-moral-code-oxford-university/