Abstract

We often seem to excuse people who do wrong things that "everyone did" at the time. This is used as a premise by those who argue that moral ignorance excuses. I argue that moral ignorance does not excuse, and also that the claim that moral ignorance excuses, if it were true, would often not be a good explanation for our lenient attitude to what "everyone did" - or, if we are progressive enough, what many people still do. I explore possible alternative explanations.