Social Environment and Moral Progress

This work opens by asking what we really mean by moral progress and whether history provides any evidence of it. The author traces how ideas of right and wrong have shifted dramatically—considering slavery, for instance—to show that morality is far from a fixed instinct. By examining these changes, the book proposes that our ethical norms are shaped largely by the social conditions of each era.

Building on that foundation, the second chapter turns to the notion of character, treating it as a complex blend of inherited mental faculties and socially driven emotions. It argues that while certain traits are hereditary, the moral dimension—our impulses toward truth, justice and benevolence—depends on how society rewards or condemns them. The discussion highlights how public approval can mask true character, creating a tension between genuine virtue and the appearance of goodness.