# What Nation Is the Most Moral Nation In the World **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [September 10, 2009, 1:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-nation-is-the-most-moral-nation-in-the-world/509500 "2009-09-10T01:36:02Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2012, 10:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-nation-is-the-most-moral-nation-in-the-world/509500/41 "2012-04-02T10:55:57Z")
> [@Nava](#): > > I follow the definitions from my Philosophy class. “Moral” = “acceptable according to the customs (Latin _mores_) of the place and time”. > > By that definition, all of them. They may not match my mores, but they match their own. It’s individuals who can go against or ignore mores; nations can’t. Well, yes and no. Nations are capable of hypocrisy. ---
**Author:** ![Shakester](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shakester/32/437_2.png) [@Shakester](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shakester)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2012, 11:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-nation-is-the-most-moral-nation-in-the-world/509500/42 "2012-04-02T11:25:50Z")
> [@Beastly\_Rotter](#): > > Russia. Russia was only one _part_ of the USSR AKA the Soviet Union, which is the country that defeated Nazism. Stalin (for instance) was a Georgian, not a Russian. ---
**Author:** ![BobLibDem](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boblibdem/32/3149_2.png) [@BobLibDem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobLibDem)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2012, 1:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-nation-is-the-most-moral-nation-in-the-world/509500/43 "2012-04-02T13:06:04Z")
> [@Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](#): > > There has been reform by both the Catholic Church and the victims themselves. What reforms were required of the victims? ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2012, 1:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-nation-is-the-most-moral-nation-in-the-world/509500/44 "2012-04-02T13:12:02Z")
> [@snailboy](#): > > I was kind of thinking that, but then I’ve also read that those are two of the richest nations in the world. When the average income is around $80,000/yr, it’s pretty easy to donate 0.7% of that. Their average income [isn’t close to $80,000 a year](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_GDP_%28PPP%29_per_capita), but your point has merit. Take Norway off the list. Swedes, however, earn less than we (and 11 other countries) do. ---
**Author:** ![Living\_Well\_Is\_Best\_Revenge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/6bbea6/32.png) [@Living\_Well\_Is\_Best\_Revenge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Living_Well_Is_Best_Revenge)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2012, 1:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-nation-is-the-most-moral-nation-in-the-world/509500/45 "2012-04-02T13:56:20Z")
I’d say one of the Nordic countries. ---
**Author:** ![Grim\_Render](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a87d85/32.png) [@Grim\_Render](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grim_Render)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2012, 1:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-nation-is-the-most-moral-nation-in-the-world/509500/46 "2012-04-04T13:37:25Z")
> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > Their average income [isn’t close to $80,000 a year](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_GDP_%28PPP%29_per_capita), but your point has merit. Take Norway off the list. Swedes, however, earn less than we (and 11 other countries) do. Actually, your link is PPP, which means income is adjusted for VAT and cost of living. In dollars and cents, the average income in Norway is indeed close to 80 000 $. Sweden is lower atm, but they got hit eceptionally hard by the crisis, and grow at about 7 %/year at the moment. ---
**Author:** ![Shade](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2bfe46/32.png) [@Shade](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shade)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2012, 2:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-nation-is-the-most-moral-nation-in-the-world/509500/47 "2012-04-04T14:59:55Z")
> [@Beastly\_Rotter](#): > > Russia. I was going to say that. Russia was probably also most instrumental in the fall of communism, as well, if you want to look at it like that. ---
**Author:** ![elbows](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b3f665/32.png) [@elbows](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elbows)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2012, 3:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-nation-is-the-most-moral-nation-in-the-world/509500/48 "2012-04-04T15:32:15Z")
I may be biased but I’m going with Canada! Gay marriage rights, women’s abortion rights, fair and equal public education, access to all required medical care for everyone, respect for the rule of law, hate speech laws, and lack of desire to make war, more into peace keeping. It’s not perfect, but it does seem pretty moral. Y’know, and polite too! ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2012, 4:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-nation-is-the-most-moral-nation-in-the-world/509500/49 "2012-04-04T16:31:01Z")
> [@Grim\_Render](#): > > Actually, your link is PPP, which means income is adjusted for VAT and cost of living. In dollars and cents, the average income in Norway is indeed close to 80 000 $. Sweden is lower atm, but they got hit eceptionally hard by the crisis, and grow at about 7 %/year at the moment. Sice we’re talking about whether they can afford to give more, it makes sense to adjust for puchasing power parity. ---
**Author:** ![shiftless](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9c0ed/32.png) [@shiftless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/shiftless)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2012, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-nation-is-the-most-moral-nation-in-the-world/509500/50 "2012-04-04T18:49:05Z")
I’m going with the UK for abolishing slavery. Yes, it was well before 1950 but it was so far reaching that I’m going claim it earned enough morality points then to keep it in the lead still. ---
**Author:** ![Svejk\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ea666f/32.png) [@Svejk\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Svejk_1)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2012, 6:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-nation-is-the-most-moral-nation-in-the-world/509500/51 "2012-04-04T18:55:27Z")
Countries or nations don’t have morality, people do, and even then there’s no consensus on what morality requires. All in all, this question is utterly unanswerable and I’m amazed that so many posters have contrived to do so anyway. ---
**Author:** ![snailboy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/97f17d/32.png) [@snailboy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snailboy)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2012, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-nation-is-the-most-moral-nation-in-the-world/509500/52 "2012-04-04T20:45:10Z")
> [@Svejk\_1](#): > > Countries or nations don’t have morality, people do, and even then there’s no consensus on what morality requires. All in all, this question is utterly unanswerable and I’m amazed that so many posters have contrived to do so anyway. Countries certainly can have morality in that the laws they make and enforce can agree or contradict what someone feels is right. The fact that there’s no consensus on morality is exactly why this thread is in IMHO instead of General Questions. ---
**Author:** ![Corcaigh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/eb8c5e/32.png) [@Corcaigh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Corcaigh)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2012, 2:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-nation-is-the-most-moral-nation-in-the-world/509500/53 "2012-04-05T14:40:29Z")
> [@Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](#): > > I would choose the Republic of Ireland as it respects human rights, doesn’t have a death penalty, has low crime, is pro-life, and generally prosperous. ROFL You have to live here to appreciate how hilarious that is! > [@Tapioca\_Dextrin](#): > > Conveniently ignoring supporting the IRA, strict gun laws and institutional child abuse (or whatever doesn’t float your boat). It’s kind of ridiculous to pick a random subset of your own values, label that as morality, and then cherry pick a country that appears to support that abritrary list irregardless of the bigger picture. Who was supporting the IRA? They were an illegal organisation who operated mostly within Northern Ireland (and please note, I said MOSTLY) What’s wrong with not allowing every tom dick or harry to have access to heavy weapons? Institutional child abuse happens in other countries as well. > [@elbows](#): > > I may be biased but I’m going with Canada! Yeah!! ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2012, 2:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-nation-is-the-most-moral-nation-in-the-world/509500/54 "2012-04-05T14:44:08Z")
> [@Svejk\_1](#): > > Countries or nations don’t have morality, people do, and even then there’s no consensus on what morality requires. All in all, this question is utterly unanswerable and I’m amazed that so many posters have contrived to do so anyway. With a little more time and effort, you can be like us. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![flodnak](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/838e76/32.png) [@flodnak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flodnak)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2012, 12:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-nation-is-the-most-moral-nation-in-the-world/509500/55 "2012-04-06T12:54:34Z")
> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > [Sweden or Norway](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_governments_by_development_aid), depending on what year it is. Mmmm… zombie Swedish Bikini Team. But morality is more complicated than just developmental aid. I would count my adoptive country’s treatment of the Anders Behring Breivik case as a point _for_ being a moral country, because we’re sticking to our principles even though it’s very tempting to throw them all out the window. On the other hand, our increasingly insane immigration policy is a point _against…_ and since it hurts far more people, the net result of these two is a negative for Norway ☹ [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-nation-is-the-most-moral-nation-in-the-world/509500.md?page=2)