Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: https://hdl.handle.net/10419/295970 
Authors: 
Year of Publication: 
2024
Series/Report no.: 
IZA Discussion Papers No. 16947
Publisher: 
Institute of Labor Economics (IZA), Bonn
Abstract: 
Is humanity's circle of moral concern expanding, as often claimed? I explore frequencies of morally universal language in 15m book publications in American English, British English, French, Spanish, German, and Italian from 1800-2000. In each language, morally universal terminology diminished substantially. I then test two prominent hypotheses predicting moral universalism: reason and religion. Reason-based terminology correlates positively with morally universal and morally communal terminology, explaining seemingly contradictory observations of the 20th century. In contrast, communal terminology sub-sides when religious terminology becomes more frequent. These empirical patterns cast doubt on prominent claims of moral universalism expanding.
Subjects: 
Expanding Circle
moral universalism
moral expansiveness
reason
religion
JEL: 
N30
Z12
Z13
Document Type: 
Working Paper

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