Public morality

Public morality refers to

public places. A famous remark of Mrs Patrick Campbell, that she did not care what people did as long as they "didn't frighten the horses",^[1] shows that in some sense even high tolerance expects a public limitation on behaviour. At the opposite extreme a theocracy

may equate public morality with religious instruction, and give both the equal force of law.

Public morality often means

AIDS

as a health policy issue is linked to public morality in a complicated manner.

Views on public morality do change over time. Public views on which things are acceptable often move towards wider tolerance. Rapid shifts the other way are often characterised by

Puritans

.

It may also be applied to the morals of public life. Political corruption, or the telling of lies in public statements, tarnish not only individual politicians, but the entire conduct of political life, whether at local or national level. These are fairly universally regarded as blots on reputations, though in some cases there is a grey area between corruption and legitimate fund-raising. Whether the private lives of politicians are a public morals issue is not a matter of agreement, internationally speaking; the existence of an extramarital relationship of a prime minister or even a president would in some countries be considered a revelation well within the sphere of the public interest, while in other countries it would be considered quite irrelevant.

References

^ *Dent, Alan (1961). Mrs. Patrick Campbell. Museum Press. p. 78.

[1] *Dent, Alan (1961). Mrs. Patrick Campbell. Museum Press. p. 78.

[1]

See also

References