Rich countries judge the rich more severely than poor people

According to a comprehensive study of moral attitudes in 20 countries, people from wealthy people such as Switzerland and Ireland, and people from equal countries such as Switzerland and Ireland are more likely to see too much wealth as a moral error.

The study reveals how societies judge significant cultural differences in extreme wealth accumulation, which impacts understanding global inequality debate and policy preferences.

Researchers surveyed 4,351 people from Argentina to the United Arab Emirates to ask if having “too much money” is morally wrong. Although most respondents placed too much wealth somewhere between “nothing wrong at all” and “middle mistakes” on a global scale, national models emerged that reflect the economic structure and cultural values ​​of each society.

The wealth paradox

Countries with higher per capita GDP and higher income equality show moral opposition to excessive wealth. This creates a clear paradox: the richer the society is, the more equal it is, its citizens condemn the accumulation of extreme wealth.

Russia, Switzerland and Ireland ranked first in moral objections to excessive wealth, while Peru, Argentina and Mexico had the least objection. This model suggests that the potential harm of extreme wealth concentration becomes more pronounced and morally significant in wealthier countries that usually meet basic needs.

The study distinguishes two relevant but separate moral judgments: condemning economic inequality versus condemning too much wealth itself. These attitudes show only a weaker correlation, suggesting that one can object to wealth gaps while still finding personal wealth accumulation acceptable and vice versa.

The moral basis of wealth judgment

Researchers use moral fundamentals theory to understand which values ​​drive wealth condemnation. Key predictors include:

• Equality: A strong predictor of wealth condemnation in all countries
• Purity Value: Unexpected but consistent with viewing wealth as corruption
• Concept of proportionality: Those who value performance-based rewards judge less wealth
• Authority and loyalty value: with acceptance of wealth concentration
• Political Ideology: Right-leaning people show less condemnation of wealth

Purity links proved to be particularly interesting. People who value moral cleanliness and naturalness are more likely to see too much wealth as corruption and support the notion that extreme wealth can be viewed as spiritually degraded. This discovery even after controlling for religious and political beliefs.

System Defense

Data support systems defense theory, the tendency of people to defend their existing social and economic arrangements. Individuals in highly unequal societies have fewer moral dissents to extreme wealth, which may reflect psychological adaptation to their economic environment.

This model appears at the individual and national levels. Within the country, people with higher socioeconomic status are more likely to condemn too much wealth, while those who recognize traditional authoritative structures show greater concentration of wealth.

A follow-up study in the United States showed that moral purity concerns beyond wealth, including other forms of excessiveness, including “too much happiness” or “too much knowledge.” This suggests that some people have inherent discomfort with any form of extremes and regard temperance as a fundamental virtue.

The study also examines how people judge different ways of wealth acquisition and spending. Participants exhibit more complex moral reasoning when considering whether to make wealth through exploitation methods such as track and field versus corruption, and whether it is used in methods such as charity and tax evasion.

Global Impact

These findings are of great significance for understanding contemporary debates about wealth taxes, inequality and economic policies. The fact that wealthy societies have more severely judged extreme wealth shows that as the country develops economically, public opinion may shift towards supporting reallocation policies.

The study reveals how moral intuition interacts with structural economic factors to shape attitudes toward wealth. Rather than a purely ideological position, the view of excessive wealth emerges from the complex interactions between individual psychology, cultural values ​​and economic systems.

As global wealth concentration reaches historical extremes, it becomes increasingly important to understand these moral foundations, with the eight richest people in the world controlling the lowest 50% of human wealth. How society morally evaluates this concentration may determine their willingness to solve problems through policy actions.

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