How Moral Rank works
Moral Rank asks one question: how widely, independently and reliably has humanity arrived at this idea?
Breadth matters more than volume: each independent tradition adds a lot, each time period adds a good deal, while extra quotes and thinkers add less and less.
E = ln(1+Q) + √K + 3·T + 1.5·R
Moral Rank = 100 × E / max E
- Quote weight w = verification (verified 1.0, probable 0.6, disputed 0.2, unverified 0, misattributed 0) × relation (expresses 1.0, similar 0.7, partial 0.4, contrasts 0) × our confidence that the quote fits the maxim.
- Q is the sum of all quote weights. It sits under a logarithm, so each extra quote adds a little less than the last.
- K counts each thinker once, at their strongest quote, under a square root: many voices matter, but with diminishing returns.
- T adds up the distinct traditions, each counted at its strongest quote, with weight 3. A tradition that grew out of another tradition already supporting the maxim (for example Christianity from Judaism) counts half (0.5).
- R is the number of distinct time periods (listed below) with at least one quote weighing 0.3 or more, with weight 1.5.
- Moral Rank divides E by the highest E on the site and scales to 100, so the best-supported maxim scores 100. Concepts are not linked to one another yet, so nothing propagates between them.
The score measures convergence, not truth or moral worth. We never rank traditions or thinkers, only ideas. Full details are in the spec.
Time periods
Each quote is placed in one period by when it was written or first recorded:
- Ancient (before 200 BCE)
- Classical (200 BCE – 600 CE)
- Medieval (600 – 1500)
- Early modern (1500 – 1800)
- Modern (1800 – 1950)
- Contemporary (1950 – today)
Verification labels
- Verified
- Wording checked against a primary text, a reputable or public-domain translation, or the author's own book, site or recorded talk.
- Probable
- Wording found only in a reliable secondary source, such as Wikipedia or Wikiquote with a cited work. Counts at 0.6.
- Disputed
- Credible sources disagree about who said it or how. Counts at 0.2.
- Unverified
- A popular saying with no traceable origin. Shown, but scores zero.
- Misattributed
- The saying is real but the attribution is known to be wrong. We show it because people will look for it, record the true origin where known, and give it no weight.
Translations of non-English texts are public-domain or credited translations. Where we make our own, they are AI-assisted and labelled as such.