Horizontal Vs. Vertical Morality

A theory to help explain the widening dissonance happening in American society.

The past decade of American politics has left many of us scratching our heads about just what the hell is going on with a certain half of the population¹. The hypocrisy between what they claim to espouse and the policy decisions they applaud is mind-numbingly askew. People who we once thought were reasonable and kind are now being uncompromising and cruel. What gives?

I recently stumbled upon a theory that helps explain the widening dissonance happening in American society: It is in the difference between horizontal and vertical morality. The concept was introduced by a bonafide preacherman², so has (obvious) religious subtext³, but the theory adapts so well for the current political climate I want to explore it in that context.

Check it out:

HORIZONTAL MORALITY

Horizontal morality is a reciprocal, let’s-treat-each-other-fairly type of morality. It defines itself from the benefit, or harm, one causes to another. In this way it sees everyone being equal and worthy of empathy and mutual respect.

My personal philosophy (find happiness in the happiness of others and accept joy when it is offered back to you) lands squarely in this camp. Please pardon me if my bias rears its head.

VERTICAL MORALITY

Vertical morality takes its cues top down: from a higher authority (God, Kings, Popes, Tradition, etc.). It is a hierarchical, chain-of-command type of morality. One that is dictated⁴ from above - from a higher authority⁵ - than where you are. If the authority allows for harm to happen to another individual, that is acceptable because the authority allowed it - the other individual be damned⁶.

Offering fealty to the authority on the chance that one might be smiled upon, gives cover for treating others poorly: “The king has given me passage” as it were. The harm any action may cause to others is secondary to being recognized as closer to the ideal (as defined by the authority⁷).

IT EXPLAINS A LOT

This view of the world, indoctrinated through religion, military, politics, et al, explains a lot (A LOT) about what is happening in America these days. Within a vertical system there is a natural pecking order (for a group of things to be vertical, the things must be stacked on one another). At the top of that heap there is an ultimate authority that exists as the perfect embodiment of the qualities viewed as most desirable - an exemplar, if you will. It is then incumbent on the individual to become closer to that exemplar which involves ensuring there is someone (anyone) beneath them in the pecking order.

Trying to get to the top of that heap looks like a zombie horde trying to get over a wall.

To the individual trying to reach the “Higher Ground” it doesn’t matter who they need to crawl over to get to the place they need to be, as long as they end up above the other. Red Hats deriding RINOs as not being enough is a result of this hierarchy. The Red Hats are closer to that high ground than the RINOs. They are better and thus closer to ideal.

It manifests itself through all of their political and societal thought processes. Once you see it through this lens it's really hard to unsee:

RACISM

You can see how racism becomes so easy within this worldview. An individual can place a whole subset of humans below themselves in a wink. The most surefire way to get yourself higher on the vertical morality ladder is to throw anyone who doesn’t look like you under the proverbial bus. It’s easy and convenient.

It is inconsequential that the differences in the individuals are literally skin deep.

ABORTION

Women’s health issues have boiled down to “when does life begin”. Fair enough. But people believe that no less authority than god himself has deemed conception to be the starting gun, it doesn't matter how many women (and their children) suffer or even die when science has given us all the tools necessary to prevent any of that from happening.

Those of us who believe that we should protect and advance reproductive health care are considered blasphemers in the eyes of the almighty - it doesn’t matter the harm caused to women.

LGBTQ+ RIGHTS

When the very existence of certain human beings is pre-judged as sinful by the exemplar, castigating those individuals is considered righteous. It is a waste of time to learn how to love anyone that has already been condemned - the condemned are already “lesser than”. The vertical thinkers, in their minds, have already won.

Even when acting against the “love thy neighbor” rule (which is the action by which they themselves would be judged) it is not worth the risk.

RICH VS POOR

Anyone who has amassed wealth has achieved a status level that automatically places them above others. Those below that tier (the less wealthy) look to the rich as exemplars and thus as a standard to strive for.

Socialist concepts⁸, even when they provide a clear benefit, are seen as anti-rich therefore anti-exemplar. It explains why many Red Hats vote against their best interests.

NAME CALLING

Red Hats, following the example of their leader, are renowned for throwing insults. Being called a “libtard” is a right of passage for those of us who dare question the moral authority of the man in charge. If we fight fire with fire and throw an insult back, we only reinforce the stereotype they have created for us.

The horizontal moralists are already considered “less than” and are deserving of derision. We (the horizontal) have not been granted the authority to sling mud at anyone on a higher tier. We’re called idiots for even trying.

WIN / LOSE

Throw the concept of heaven and hell - the ultimate “win” with salvation and virgins (I've been told) against the ultimate “loss” with everlasting damnation - into a highly charged and uber competitive population and watch people tear each other apart to win. It's like a Black Friday sale with eternal consequences.

Never mind that there is space for everyone. Proximity to the exemplar is what they're fighting for.

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STRENGTH = WEAKNESS

After all of that you might be wondering why anyone would want to land in the vertical morality camp. Well, as with most everything, what you like about something is also what you don’t like about something. For as great as horizontal morality sounds, it has its weaknesses. It tries to accommodate everyone and that process can be rather sloppy. By accommodating one, you risk alienating another. The term "woke" is born of the sloppiness of this inclusivity.

Vertical morality's strength is in its clear guidance: there is only one way forward to meet the requisites of the exemplar. But, remove that authority and the "morality" crumbles under lack of definition. Vertical morality is not self regulating.

Much in the way that we empathetic folk can’t fathom how Red Hats are blind to their own lack of empathy, they can’t understand how we aren’t following the same sort of vertical rules as they are. It’s why they will say “yeah, but you’ll believe anything Biden says”. They are projecting their belief system on us (as we are projecting our belief system on them).

NOW WHAT?

How do we combat this? I don't know. If the MAGA faithful were to read this (if it makes any sense), would they see what we see? Every time we have held up a mirror to their cruelty they don't see a monster. They see someone getting closer to the exemplar and condemn us further for having the audacity to offer that reflection.

Eventually their pyramid will crumble. As each lesser tier is considered further from being worthy it's only a matter of time before they find themselves in such a tier. Despite all their effort, they will never - can never - become what they worship.

We'll be here when they fall. We must. It's unavoidable. Whether I, or you, or anyone decides to forgive them is irrelevant. They are still human and as such part of this humanity. For better or worse, they are one of us. We'll judge them, going forward, as any other: on their kindness to others. Hopefully they'll come to understand, as we do, that the exemplar is all of us.

FURTHER READING

1. Red Hats. I call them Red Hats.

2. The concept was first popularized in a Christian setting by pastor Andy Stanley. It is interesting in that he framed the Old Testament as being vertical and the teaching of Jesus as horizontal.

If you are really interested, take a look at Rachel Klinger Cain. She is on Substack, but does most of her work on TikTok. She explains this concept very well, albeit from an atheist’s point of view.

3. We often see morality questions framed in a variation of “If there is no God, then how can there be morality?” Which always seemed like a silly question to me, because I never thought morality to be only extracted from religion. In fact, I thought it was the other way around.

4. Dictatorship.

5. Authoritarianism.

6. Sometimes, quite literally - if you believe in that kind of thing.

7. Convenient, don’t you think?

8. Police, fire departments, the military, roads, bridges, etc. etc.