Moralism is a philosophy that arose in the 19th century that concerns itself with imbuing society with a certain set of
morals, usually traditional behaviour, but also "justice, freedom, and equality". It has strongly affected North American and British culture, concerning private issues such as the family unit and
sexuality
Human sexuality is the way people experience and express themselves sexually. This involves biological, psychological, physical, erotic, emotional, social, or spiritual feelings and behaviors. Because it is a broad term, which has varied ...
, as well as issues that carry over into the public square, such as the
temperance movement
The temperance movement is a social movement promoting Temperance (virtue), temperance or total abstinence from consumption of alcoholic beverages. Participants in the movement typically criticize alcohol intoxication or promote teetotalism, and ...
.
The term has been used in a pejorative sense to describe the attitude of "being overly concerned with making moral judgments or being
illiberal in the judgments one makes".
French moralists
North America
In tracing the origins of moralism, sociologist Malcolm Waters writes that "Moralism emerged from a clash between the unrestrained character of frontier expansionism, a middle-class, Protestant emphasis on respectability cultivated in small-town America and an
egalitarian
Egalitarianism (; also equalitarianism) is a school of thought within political philosophy that builds on the concept of social equality, prioritizing it for all people. Egalitarian doctrines are generally characterized by the idea that all h ...
and anti-intellectual evangelism among splinter Protestant groups."
In the 19th century, the issues of
abolition and
temperance formed the "twin pillars" of moralism, becoming popular through Christian Churches in the United States, both
Protestant
Protestantism is a branch of Christianity that emphasizes Justification (theology), justification of sinners Sola fide, through faith alone, the teaching that Salvation in Christianity, salvation comes by unmerited Grace in Christianity, divin ...
and
Roman Catholic
The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics worldwide as of 2025. It is among the world's oldest and largest international institut ...
.
Moralism as promoted by some Christian denominations, such as the
Quakers
Quakers are people who belong to the Religious Society of Friends, a historically Protestantism, Protestant Christian set of Christian denomination, denominations. Members refer to each other as Friends after in the Bible, and originally ...
, manifested in wide support for
abolitionism
Abolitionism, or the abolitionist movement, is the political movement to end slavery and liberate enslaved individuals around the world.
The first country to fully outlaw slavery was France in 1315, but it was later used in its colonies. ...
.
The rise of
postmillennialism in the 19th century "encouraged a general culture of Protestant moralism and pushed it toward a series of social reform movements, from antislavery and abolitionism (freedom for the slaves now), to protests against Indian Removal, to antiwar and peace efforts, to women's rights, to temperance work before and after the Civil War."
As such, the campaign for
women's suffrage
Women's suffrage is the women's rights, right of women to Suffrage, vote in elections. Several instances occurred in recent centuries where women were selectively given, then stripped of, the right to vote. In Sweden, conditional women's suffra ...
, evidenced by the ethos of organisations such as the
Women's Christian Temperance Union (WCTU), was highly driven by the moralism of that era.
In the latter part of 20th century, as well as the 21st century, moralists in the United States turned their attention to championing the movement to criminalize abortion care.
Moralists have also focused their efforts in maintaining
blue laws, such as those that discourage
Sunday shopping, in accordance with
first-day Sabbatarian beliefs and the sensibilities of some labourers and trade unions.
See also
References
External links
World Women's Christian Temperance Union (WWCTU)
*{{usurped,
The Lord's Day Alliance of the U.S.}
History of social movements
Christian theological movements
Abolitionism
Temperance movement
Morality
Trade unions
Women's suffrage
19th century in the United States
Pejorative terms