To understand the possible positive changes of diverging from accepted moral standards, people first have to understand three terms: social morality, individual morality, and reflexive morality. All of my definitions and information regarding types of morality come from a chapter titled “The Nature of Morality” from the book Ethical Choices, which was written by Richard Burnor and Yvonne Raley.

Social morality deals with the ethics surrounding people’s relationships and society as a whole. Social morality is typically our standard for right and wrong, as it has been taught to most since a young age. This type of morality can be influenced by religion, as in The Scarlet Letter, but does not have to be. The setting of social morality in the novel is the strict Puritan society in which Hester lives.

Individual morality, “refers to individuals in relation to themselves and to an individual code of morality.” Essentially, a person looks to themselves to determine right or wrong, despite the beliefs of society. Readers see Hester place a greater value on individual morality near the end of the novel. She finds no acceptance in her society, so she seeks for approval within herself.

Finally, reflexive morality is the idea of evaluating the moral code the individual adheres to. Burnor and Raley state, “philosophy requires human beings to reflect on their moral customs and traditions to determine whether they should be retained or eliminated.” Especially concerning traditions people are taught from young ages, stepping back and analyzing those customs is of the upmost importance. Blind acceptance of a tenet that is assumed true does not make it morally right.

I believe the ability for positive change stems from the idea of reflexive morality. When a person finds themselves in a position of opposition or contrast to society’s moral code, they are forced to evaluate said code. Hester finds herself ostracized due to her actions, which broke her society’s ethical standards. In her isolation, Hester is able to review the social morality of her community from an outside perspective. She finds flaws in her Puritan community, which those entrenched in the community could not recognize. Although taking no action, she imagines a “better” society in her head. Through reflexive morality, there is great potential for positive societal change. Only by analyzing and checking our beliefs of morality can humans progress, rather than regress.