Shared minimal morality cannot explain historical change

Evidence

First, human beings in virtually all societies share certain basic values, such as murder is evil, and certain basic institutions, such as some form of the family. Most peoples in most societies have a similar “moral sense,” a “thin” minimal morality of basic concepts of what is right and wrong. If this is what is meant by universal civilization, it is both profound and profoundly important, but it is also neither new nor relevant. If people have shared a few fundamental values and institutions throughout history, this may explain some constants in human behavior but it cannot illuminate or explain history, which consists of changes in human behavior. — Samuel P. Huntington, The Clash of Civilizations and the…, 154

Categorization

• DEFINE: Defines the ‘thin’ minimal morality reading of universal civilization and distinguishes it from the historically explanatory sense of civilization.
• corroborated: 2 independent passages support this claim — Samuel P. Huntington, The Clash of Civilizations and the…, 154