For the philosophical position rejecting all moral claims, see Moral nihilism.
Amorality (also known as amoralism) is an absence of, indifference towards, disregard for, or incapacity for morality.[1][2][3] Some simply refer to it as a case of being neither moral nor immoral.[4] Amoral should not be confused with immoral, which refers to an agent doing or thinking something they know or believe to be wrong.[5]
Morality and amorality in humans and other animals is a subject of dispute among scientists and philosophers. If morality is intrinsic to humanity, then amoral human beings either do not exist or are only deficiently human,[6] a condition sometimes described as moral idiocy or anti-social behavior disorder. On the other hand, if morality is extrinsic to humanity, then amoral human beings can both exist and be fully human, and as such be amoral by default. Human capabilities may be thought of as amoral in that they can be used for either constructive or destructive purposes, i.e., for good or for ill.[7]
One may consider any entity that is not sapient amoral. For example, a rock may be used (by rational agents) for good or bad purposes, but the rock itself is neither good nor bad. In ontological philosophy, the ancient gnostic concept that the material world was inherently evil applied morality to existence itself and was a point of concern in early Christianity in the form of Docetism, as it opposed the notion that creation is good, as stated in The Book of Genesis.[9] In modern science, however, the matter of the universe is often observed amorally for objective purposes.
Legal entities
Corporations are thought by some to be amoral entities.[10][11][12][13] This can refer to the "ethical numbness" of these organizations' executives and managers, especially when approached from the view that corporations can be considered moral agents as well as a kind of legal person.[14]
^Johnstone, Megan-Jane (2008). Bioethics: A Nursing Perspective. Elsevier Health Sciences. pp. 102–103. ISBN978-0-7295-3873-2.
^Superson, Anita (2009). The Moral Skeptic. Oxford University Press. pp. 127–159. ISBN978-0-19-537662-3.
^"Amorality". Dictionary.com. Archived from the original on 29 July 2010. Retrieved 2010-06-18.
^Cromwell, Michael (2002). The Anti-Dictionary: A Selected List of Words Being Forced from the Modern Lexicon. New York: Writers Club Press. p. 3. ISBN978-0595224173.