Moral values are primarily concerned with which of the following?

• A. Things we judge to be morally good, bad, praiseworthy, or blameworthy—character or motives
• B. Our duties and actions
• C. Legal statutes
• D. Social norms unrelated to morality

Answer: (A)

Moral values focus on how we evaluate actions and people in terms of right and wrong, and what is praiseworthy or blameworthy. This centers on the agent’s character and the motives behind an action, because the moral status of what someone does often depends on why they did it and what kind of person they are.

Laws, by contrast, codify what is legally required or forbidden and are enforceable by authorities; while they can align with morality, they are not the primary measure of moral worth. Social norms reflect shared expectations, but they aren’t the intrinsic moral judgments about virtue or intent. The idea of duties and actions relates to what one ought to do, but the core moral assessment is about the quality of the person and their underlying motives.