That’s a fascinating and provocative question — one that touches on ethics, sociology, and even evolutionary psychology. Let’s unpack it.
1. The Meaning of the Claim
To say “morality is no more than social hygiene” suggests that:
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Moral rules function like public health rules — they exist to prevent social “infection” (conflict, chaos, distrust).
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Morality isn’t an objective truth or divine law, but rather a social mechanism that keeps a community functioning smoothly.
So, just as washing hands prevents disease, honesty, fairness, and cooperation prevent social breakdown.
2. Arguments Supporting the View
(a) Evolutionary/Sociobiological Perspective
From an evolutionary standpoint, moral behavior evolved because it enhanced group survival.
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Cooperation, altruism, and fairness build trust, which helps groups thrive.
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Groups that enforced moral norms outcompeted those that didn’t.
Thus, morality could indeed be seen as a form of “social hygiene” — rules that keep the social organism healthy.
(b) Sociological View (Durkheim, Foucault, etc.)
Sociologists like Émile Durkheim argued that moral norms are collective rules that maintain social order.
Foucault might add that morality also functions as a disciplinary system, regulating behavior much like health policies regulate the body.
So morality, in this sense, is a way of maintaining social stability and power structures.
3. Arguments Against the View
(a) Reductionism
Reducing morality to mere “social hygiene” ignores its inner dimension — the sense of justice, empathy, and duty that goes beyond mere social utility.
People often act morally against social norms or self-interest (think of whistleblowers or reformers like Socrates or Gandhi).
That suggests morality isn’t just a tool for social order.
(b) The Question of Moral Truth
Philosophers like Kant or Plato would insist morality is grounded in reason or objective moral law, not social convenience.
If morality were purely social hygiene, then slavery, caste systems, or oppression — once “socially hygienic” — would have been moral, which feels intuitively wrong.
4. A Possible Middle Ground
One might say morality originates as social hygiene (a way to manage coexistence) but develops into something richer — a shared pursuit of justice, empathy, and meaning.
It’s both: