Many of the clauses in the Moral Order correspond to forms of bigotry:
The racist clause: Since the dominant culture has been white, whites rank above nonwhites.
The anti-Semitic clause: Since the dominant culture is Christian, Christians rank above Jews.
The jingoist clause: Since this is an American culture where people born here have more power and status than immigrants, those born Americans rank above immigrants.
The homophobe clause: Since heterosexuality is dominant in our culture and homosexuals are stereotyped as weak, heterosexuals rank above homosexuals.
The superpatriot clause: Since America is the dominant country (the only superpower), America ranks above other countries.
[...]
It is important to bear in minds that these define a "moral order." Those higher in the moral order are "better" and have a moral authority over those lower in the hierarchy. So, for instance, if all these clauses are in your hierarchy and if you happen to be a heterosexual white Christian American man, you are "better" than most people in the world.
According to the Moral Order metaphor, a just situation obtains when the Moral Order hierarchy is met in the world, that is, when men do have moral authority and power over women, when parents do have moral authority and power over their children, when human beings do have moral authority and power over nature, and so on. The bigoted clauses include whites having moral authority and power over nonwhites, and so on. In short, the Moral Order is the conceptual mechanism by which assumptions of superiority - and the moral standing of that superiority - are expressed.
Originally Posted by bullypulpit
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