Double standard

As a double standard, a standard system is called, the same behavior rated ethically different, depending on which group of people belong to the person in charge or the persons concerned or depending on whether they are in a public or private situation inside or outside of a social community, without the need for a would be objective reason exists. The double standards can involve explicitly reflected in a moral code that represents a different value system, or implicitly in the moral sense, in behavior and the value judgments of individuals. The essential characteristic is that is measured " double standards ".

From a double standard can always be referred to when the use of different assessment criteria is questionable. The term thus goes beyond the different evaluation of their own behavior and foreign behavior or between behavior that demands a person from others and that which shows itself ( hypocrisy ), addition. When it comes to a contradiction between actually Obeyed and unrepresented outwardly moral, is instead rather speak of bigotry.

In some areas, certain categorizations of people are prone to double standards, equality with respect to applicable rules, therefore, for example, in education between children and adults, deals with gender issues between men and women. In politics, the behavior of various parties or states are considered from the viewpoint of double standards. A double standard may also result from inconsistencies between individual ethics and social ethics.

The accusation of double standards can be used to create a moral demand of other rejected (see Tu quoque ). The occasional need to evaluate similar behavior is different, also expressed in the formula Quod licet Iovi, non licet bovi.