Have we become more moral?

Not a couple of centuries ago, the enslavement of millions of men, women, and children was accepted and even approved of by much of the white population of the United States.

Until the 1800s or so, dueling was an appropriate means of settling an argument between two men.

Not 100 years ago, child labor was a great idea.

Not 60 years ago, it was with some frequency that mobs numbering in the thousands would participate in the lynchings of black men and women.

Not 40 years ago in some states, interracial marriage was illegal. Or if you’re in Louisiana, it was yesterday.

Until recently, homosexuality was believed by many to be a mental disorder.

As a society we seem to have advanced from these barbarities of the past. Obviously, racism in its many forms still exists, and child labor and human slavery are still a fact of life in many countries. But where I live, you can expect the wrath of a thousand angry gods to fall upon you if you even express a racist sentiment.

Intuitively I know that hurting people for whatever reason is wrong, and I can’t imagine witnessing anything more horrifying than a lynching or a slave auction. But I still suspect that if I were living in a time where these were common occurences, I would find them less appalling.

I’d really like to hear what other people think about this. If a society is only as moral as the people it’s made up of, does this mean that we, as individuals, have evolved morally? Or do our morals depend on and react to peer pressure?

By the way, this is one of the questions that I was having a hard time asking earlier, if you were following that thread.