Definition

Noun: 1. An innate or deeply held feeling for what is right and wrong: The "moral sense" refers to an internal faculty or intuitive feeling that guides a person to distinguish between ethical and unethical behavior. It is often considered a natural part of human conscience. 2. The capacity to make ethical judgments: It denotes the psychological ability to perceive and be motivated by moral principles, influencing one's decisions and actions.

Usage

The term "moral sense" is used to describe the internal, often intuitive, source of a person's ethical reasoning and motivation. It is typically treated as a singular, uncountable concept.

Examples

• His moral sense would not allow him to keep the money he found.
• The character in the novel is torn between ambition and her moral sense.
• A strong moral sense is essential for leadership.
• The debate questioned whether a moral sense is innate or learned.

Advanced Usage

• Philosophical Context: In moral philosophy, the "moral sense" is often discussed as a theory (Moral Sense Theory) proposing that humans possess an innate emotional or intuitive capacity to perceive virtue and vice.
• In Conflict: The phrase is frequently used to highlight an internal struggle, e.g., "a conflict between pragmatism and moral sense."

Variants and Related Words

• Conscience (n): A person's internal sense of right and wrong, viewed as a guide to behavior. (Often used interchangeably with "moral sense," though "conscience" can imply a more active voice of self-judgment.)
• Scruples (n): Feelings of doubt or hesitation about the morality of an action. (Suggests a more specific, restraining aspect of one's moral sense.)
• Sense of right and wrong (n phrase): A more descriptive synonym for moral sense.
• Ethical compass (n phrase): A metaphorical term for a guiding moral sense.

Synonyms

• Conscience
• Scruples
• Sense of morality
• Inner voice
• Ethical sense

Antonyms

• Amorality
• Unscrupulousness

Related Idioms and Phrases

• To have no moral sense: To lack any internal guidance on ethical matters; to be amoral.
  • The villain in the story seems to have no moral sense.
• To go against one's moral sense: To act in a way that contradicts one's internal ethical feelings.
  • Lying to protect him went against her every moral sense.

Noun

1. motivation deriving logically from ethical or moral principles that govern a person's thoughts and actions