The 'Degenerating World' Metaphor and Moral Decay

Key Insight

A core belief among right-wing individuals is the perception that the world and its morality are increasingly deteriorating, giving rise to the 'degenerating world' metaphor. This perspective is inherent in the term 'conservatives' itself, implying a desire to preserve what is good against decay, in contrast to the political left, whose 'progressive' label reflects a hope for moral advancement. Historical evidence suggests this sensation of social moral decline is not new, appearing in ancient Greece, Israel, China, and Rome. Modern examples include a 2003 poll where 68 percent of adults believed teenage pregnancy was rising, despite actual rates having fallen by 31 percent in the preceding decade, demonstrating a common tendency to perceive decline even when facts suggest otherwise.

Political orientation strongly correlates with this 'degenerating world' view. A 2000 National Election Study found 80 percent of conservatives, compared to 59 percent of moderates and 49 percent of liberals, agreed that 'newer lifestyles are contributing to the breakdown of our society.' The Right-Wing Authoritarianism (RWA) test also measures this theme, with conservatives being more likely to endorse statements about the need for 'strong medicine' to address 'troublemakers, criminals, and perverts,' 'the rot that is poisoning our country from within,' and the necessity to 'crack down harder on deviant groups...if we're going to save our moral standards.' Each of these phrases suggests a society in moral decay.

This belief is often voiced by 'reactionary' politicians yearning for a supposedly more moral past. For example, Republican congressman Newt Gingrich, serving for 20 years, frequently expressed the opinion that America's moral fabric was deteriorating, particularly under liberal administrations, claiming that periods existed where 'people didn't get raped, people didn't get murdered.' In his 2010 book 'To Save America,' he argued that American morality was under dire threat from President Obama's 'secular-socialist machine.' On the extreme right, figures like Glenn Beck and neo-Nazis present an even gloomier prognosis, describing society with 'extreme doom and pessimism' and believing 'people are getting worse and worse.' Conversely, the political left generally holds hope for human nature's improvement, as seen in Barack Obama's 2006 book 'The Audacity of Hope' and his belief that the human condition can be 'perfected,' echoing Rousseau's idealism and reflecting a progressive vision of societal evolution towards more moral stages, potentially even a Communist utopia where government becomes unnecessary. The Marisol Valles García case, a 20-year-old police chief in a dangerous Mexican town, also presented a public debate on whether her cooperative approach against cartels was exceptionally naive or a cynical ploy for asylum, highlighting differing expectations of human nature in a 'degenerating world' scenario.