Morality axis: Progressive vs Traditional
This axis is about how a society should treat questions of family, gender, sexuality and personal life. Do norms need to keep changing, or do long-standing norms deserve protection?
13 statements in the test score this axis. Agreeing with some moves you toward Progressive, with others toward Traditional.
What the Morality axis measures
The Morality axis looks at your view on social change. It asks about marriage, raising children, gender, abortion, end-of-life choices and how fast laws should follow changing values. Your score runs from -100 (Progressive) to +100 (Traditional).
It does not measure how good or kind a person is. Both ends are built on moral ideas. One side puts weight on personal freedom and equal treatment. The other puts weight on family, duty and lessons passed down over time.
Sample statements
These are real statements from the test. Each one is keyed to this axis, in one direction or the other.
“Same-sex couples should have the same right to marry as opposite-sex couples.”
“Abortion should be legal in most cases.”
“Children are best raised by a married mother and father.”
“Traditional roles for men and women are good for families.”
What the Progressive end means
People at this end see social norms as something that can and should improve. Many past rules, they say, were unfair to some groups, and changing them made life better. They tend to start from individual choice: if adults make a decision about their own lives, the law should usually respect it.
They are generally happy for laws to move quickly when public attitudes move. They often see diverse family forms as equally valid, and they value young people learning to think for themselves.
- They often see legal recognition of different kinds of couples and families as a matter of equal treatment.
- Many hold that decisions about pregnancy belong to the person involved.
- They tend to back personal choice in matters like gender identity and how a life should end.
- Many want schools to give young people frank, practical information and room to form their own views.
Who sits at the Progressive end
- Simone de Beauvoir-95
- Emma Goldman-85
- Michel Foucault-80
- Bertrand Russell-75
- José Mujica-75
- Roy Jenkins-75
What the Traditional end means
People at this end see long-standing norms as a store of hard-won wisdom. Customs around marriage, parenting and community have lasted because they work, they say, and tearing them down fast can cause harm that is hard to repair. They tend to start from duty and the health of families and communities, not only from individual choice.
They are generally careful about change. They often see marriage and the family as the base of a stable society, and they want parents to have a strong role in how children are raised and taught.
- They often see marriage between a man and a woman, with children raised in that home, as the best base for society.
- Many feel that customs handed down over generations should not be dropped lightly.
- They tend to want more limits on material they think harms family life or public decency.
- Many believe parents, not schools or the state, should guide children on intimate matters.
Who sits at the Traditional end
- Phyllis Schlafly+95
- Joseph de Maistre+90
- Pat Buchanan+85
- William Wilberforce+85
- Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn+80
- Jean-Marie Le Pen+75
Scores near the middle
A score near zero usually means you take these questions one at a time. You might back legal equality in marriage but want limits on abortion, or protect personal freedom while still valuing family traditions. It can also mean you hold mixed views because the issues feel hard, and you do not want a single label to settle them.
Common mix-ups
Progressive means anti-religion. No. Many religious people hold progressive views on social questions, and many non-religious people hold traditional ones. Religion has its own axis in this test, and the two often move apart.
Traditional means against freedom. Not necessarily. Someone can want traditional family norms and still want the government to leave people alone. Whether the state should enforce a moral view is a different question, covered by the Security axis.
This axis is the same as left and right. It is only one part of the picture. Your views on money and the economy sit on separate axes, so a person can be traditional on morality and still support strong public services.
How it relates to other axes
Religion: Religion asks whether faith should shape law and public life. Morality asks about the content of social norms. Many people line up on both, but plenty do not.
Security: Security asks how far the state should police behavior. Someone can hold traditional personal values and still want government to stay out of private choices.
FAQ
Is a Traditional score the same as being conservative?
Not quite. Conservative is a broad label that also covers views on money, power and foreign policy. This axis only covers social and family questions, and it is one of twelve.
Does a Progressive score mean I reject all traditions?
No. It means you are open to changing norms when you think they are unfair or out of date. You can still love holidays, family customs and heritage.
Why do some statements here feel like two questions in one?
Moral issues often mix personal choice, family and law. The test picks the main point of each statement. If you disagree with part of one, answer for the part that matters most to you.
Can my score change over time?
Yes. Life events such as having children, moving country or changing jobs can shift how you see these questions. Retaking the test now and then is a fair way to see that.
Where do you sit on Morality?
Take the test