Moral Foundations Theory

Moral Foundations Theory

On the Innate Roots of Morality in Luminaria

The Core Framework

The Moral Foundations Theory (MFT) is a social psychological theory designed to explain the origins and variation in human moral reasoning through innate, modular foundations. It identifies multiple moral "taste buds" that cultures emphasize differently, shaping diverse moral systems across the world.

The Five Moral Foundations

1. Harm/Care
Protecting others from suffering and safeguarding their welfare. This corresponds to the ethics of care. Concerns include:

  • Was someone emotionally harmed?

  • Did someone care for the weak or vulnerable?

  • Was cruelty inflicted?

2. Fairness/Reciprocity
Avoiding unfair treatment and ensuring reciprocity. This is paired with Harm/Care in the individualizing cluster. It corresponds to the ethics of justice. Concerns include:

  • Was someone treated differently or unfairly?

  • Were rights denied?

  • Was reciprocity upheld?

3. Ingroup/Loyalty
Focused on group cohesion. Part of the binding cluster. Concerns include:

  • Was loyalty to group or country shown?

  • Was betrayal committed?

  • Was solidarity maintained?

4. Authority/Respect
Concerned with relations among group members and respect for traditions. Part of the binding cluster. Concerns include:

  • Was authority respected or defied?

  • Were traditions upheld?

  • Did the act create chaos or disorder?

5. Purity/Sanctity
Corresponds to the ethic of divinity, often tied to cultural views of the body, spirit, and sacredness. Part of the binding cluster. Concerns include:

  • Was decency violated?

  • Was something disgusting or defiling done?

  • Would the act be approved by divine or sacred standards?

Individual vs. Group Dimensions

  • Individualizing Foundations: Harm/Care and Fairness/Reciprocity. These emphasize individual rights, welfare, and justice.

  • Binding Foundations: Ingroup/Loyalty, Authority/Respect, and Purity/Sanctity. These emphasize group cohesion, hierarchy, and sacred order.

Together, they map how different cultures balance concern for the individual against concern for the community.

Expansion of the Theory

MFT remains open-ended, allowing for revision and expansion. A proposed sixth foundation is:

Liberty/Oppression
Added to address concerns that Fairness/Cheating did not capture economic conservatives’ emphasis on proportionality. Liberty/Oppression reflects resistance to domination and the moral value of individual freedom.

Luminaria Perspective

In Luminaria, moral foundations explain why gods, guilds, and empires differ so sharply in values. One city may uphold purity through ritual law, while another prizes fairness and care above tradition. Understanding the foundations reveals not only why cultures clash—but also how alliances and enmities are born.

“What one calls justice, another calls betrayal. What one calls sacred, another calls folly. Yet all stand upon foundations unseen.”
— Scholar of the Shifting Spire