amoral
Beyond right, wrong
Amoral describes someone or something lacking moral sense or unconcerned with right and wrong.
An amoral person isn't necessarily immoral—they simply operate outside moral categories altogether: Nature is amoral; earthquakes don't discriminate between saints and sinners.
The distinction matters: immoral means violating moral standards; amoral means having none to violate.
Rejection of objective meaning
- relativismContext-dependent truth doctrine
- subjectivismBelief truth is personal
- existentialismPhilosophy stressing self-created meaning
- egoismDoctrine of self-motivation
value-free · pragmatism · realism · utilitarianism · consequentialism · Machiavellianism · realpolitik · determinism
Concern for personal advantage
- egoismDoctrine of self-motivation
- narcissismExcessive admiration of oneself
- hedonismPursuit of gratification
- opportunismExploiting circumstances for gain
expediency · mercenary · calculating · unscrupulous · unprincipled · self-serving · exploitative · ruthless
Purpose or goal
- dispassionateFree from emotional involvement
- nonjudgmentalNot forming harsh opinions
- unbiasedFree from prejudice
- impartialShowing no preference
clinical · detached · scientific · descriptive · analytical · nonpartisan · value-neutral · disinterested
Absence of feeling
- unconcernAbsence of worry
- detachmentSeparation or emotional uninvolvement
- disinterestAbsence of bias
- coldnessLow temperature state
callousness · heartlessness · insensitivity · numbness · aloofness · unfeeling · emotionless · induration
nihilism
Rejection of objective meaning
- relativismContext-dependent truth doctrine
- subjectivismBelief truth is personal
- existentialismPhilosophy stressing self-created meaning
egoism · value-free · pragmatism · realism · utilitarianism · consequentialism · Machiavellianism · realpolitik · determinism · nonmoral
self-interest
Concern for personal advantage
- egoismDoctrine of self-motivation
- narcissismExcessive admiration of oneself
- hedonismPursuit of gratification
opportunism · expediency · mercenary · calculating · unscrupulous · unprincipled · self-serving · exploitative · ruthless · predatory
objective
Purpose or goal
- dispassionateFree from emotional involvement
- nonjudgmentalNot forming harsh opinions
- unbiasedFree from prejudice
impartial · clinical · detached · scientific · descriptive · analytical · nonpartisan · value-neutral · disinterested · evenhanded
apathy
Absence of feeling
- unconcernAbsence of worry
- detachmentSeparation or emotional uninvolvement
- disinterestAbsence of bias
coldness · callousness · heartlessness · insensitivity · numbness · aloofness · unfeeling · emotionless · induration · passivity
- A- wordsapathy, atheist, atypical, asymmetric, asymmetry
- moralityethics, morals, right and wrong, conscience, ethical principles
- wickedevil, wicked, villainous, malicious, sinister
- nonbelieversatheist, atheists, agnostic, agnostics, nonbeliever
- Tricksterstrickster, mischief-maker, Loki, rascal, Anansi
amoralmoral
Concerning right conduct
ethical · principled · virtuous · conscientious · moralistic
amoralprincipled
Having strong moral beliefs
ethical · conscientious · dutiful · honor-bound · rule-following