"Beyond economics, we found that judgments about excessive wealth are also shaped by deeper moral intuitions. Our study drew on moral foundations theory, which proposes that people's sense of right and wrong is built on six core values-care, equality, proportionality, loyalty, authority, and purity. We found that people who highly value equality and purity were more likely to see excessive wealth as wrong."
"In wealthy, more economically equal countries such as Switzerland and Belgium, people were more likely to say that having too much money is immoral. In countries that are poorer and more unequal, such as Peru or Nigeria, people tended to view wealth accumulation as more acceptable. The equality result was expected, but the role of purity was more surprising. Purity is usually associated with ideas about cleanliness, sanctity, or avoiding contamination-so"
Survey data from more than 4,300 people across 20 countries indicate that most people do not strongly condemn having "too much money," yet opinions vary markedly by national context. Residents of wealthy, more economically equal countries such as Switzerland and Belgium were more likely to judge excessive wealth as immoral. Residents of poorer, more unequal countries such as Peru and Nigeria viewed wealth accumulation as more acceptable. Judgments about excessive wealth are influenced not only by economic conditions but also by moral intuitions. People who prioritize equality and purity were especially likely to view excessive wealth as morally wrong.
Read at Fast Company
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