Most people treat their own moral views as unchangeable, and believe those who disagree with them are wrong.

People actually develop new moral views, form new connections, and change their views on competing concerns.

Understanding why morals change doesn't determine if those changes are good or bad.

Most of us hold a handful of moral truths we consider unmovable. For example, violence, lying, and slavery are wrong. Yet, people regularly act against these truths. Some people cheer for violence in war or sports, others lie multiple times a day, and for centuries, otherwise reasonable people defended slavery.

The gap between what we believe and how we behave raises an uncomfortable question: Are our moral principles easily overridden by selfishness or circumstances?

Audun Dahl’s Theory on Shifting Moral Views

Not necessarily, according to a new book by Audun Dahl, associate professor of psychology at Cornell's College of Human Ecology and director of the Developmental Moral Psychology Lab. His book, Between Fixed and Fickle: Why Our Moral Views Keep Changing, draws on decades........

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