Moralność a więź społeczna
Morality and the Social Bond

Summary/Abstract: Moral standards are an element of culture of significance for the social bond of groups in the process of integration. However, since social groups assume very heterogeneous forms, especially in relation to social bonds which "glue" them together, some types of morality serve as more adequate bonding factors than others. Morality as an adhesive is particularily appropriate in communities where the reciprocity principle is of central importance. This can be demonstrated by studying e.g. the moral consciousness of the population of traditional Polish villages. The pivotal question of this article can be expressed as follows: how does group morality change, when the group changes its form in the process of historical development, and when the "mechanical solidarity" type of bond evolves into "organic solidarity"? The author refers to the Old Testament to demonstrate that the changes affecting morality may involve the search for legitimisation within religious doctrine - legitimisation, which so far was sufficiently provided by the apparent by the apparent obviousness of the standards ensuing from tradition. This process leads to the development of a great religious narrative and the close integration of religion and morality; also, integration rooted in such a foundation increases the chances of the group's survival in the face of cultural or physical threat.

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