Moral Decline was clearly present after the Black Death because the events of the century and the behaviour of society after the disease died down were well-documented. There are several sources which tell us of an obvious moral laxity regarding social mores after the B.D., such as an increase in vices, including excessive drinking (and the opening of the first pubs), gambling and vulgar language. There was also a baby boom after the disease which was a result of intensification in sexual intercourse. These activities were all due to a surge in social freedoms- the decline in population and the state of society after the huge mortality brought about by the disease lead to a release of emotions which swept away the restraints of society pre-Black Death. Within religion there was also a moral decline in society post-B.D. The disease was seen as a punishment from God for their sins, and therefore people blamed Him for the suffering they faced and there was a consistent theme of despair and hopelessness concerning religion in much of the literature at that time. The faithful people had been shown ‘indifference from an over-vengeful God’ as it was put by Petrarch. Consequently, the B.D. bred a ‘cult of remembrance’. The dip in spiritual and religious fervour meant that men of the church often complained about the lack of devotion to God and the lack of social values within society, which again shows a decrease in morals and the ethics of the majority of contemporary society. The biggest response to religion in society post-B.D. was the seeking of solace, which came with the realisation that the church was a method of societal control. Together with the criticism of lower forms of church by religious superiors and figureheads within the church, such as bishops, this lead to an increase in private worship and lack of public affection for the God who was so fervently and publically adored before the pestilence.
However, it is possible to disagree that moral decline was a result of the Black Death, judging by sources which claim that there was already a slackening of social boundaries pre-B.D. This can be related to certain catastrophic events of the 14th century which had already had an impact on the behaviour of society, such as the Great Famine in 1317. This had increased the vulnerability of the peasants to both disease and death in later years of the century and had also resulted in themes of death and suffering throughout contemporary art and literature. Accordingly, the famine had lead to surviving people to value their lives more and make the most of their time on earth, in a similar effect the Black Death had thirty years later. It is also difficult to say that the Black Death was ‘caused by’ moral decline. Although people were acting in a manner which was not approved by the church, physically they did little to bring about the death of around half of the entire population of the country.
Having said this, the terrible hygiene of the public (which was partly a result of their unhealthy lifestyle) did contribute to their own poor living conditions and they knew very little about science; they were therefore incapable of preventing the spread of the plague throughout their towns and villages. Furthermore, although after the Black Death there was a decrease in faith towards the church, at the time many people were convinced that the disease was in fact a punishment for their sins and immoral actions within society. Therefore, many contemporary accounts of the pestilence would in fact have associated it with God and retribution for their moral negligence.
In conclusion, the hypothesis can be considered truthful to a certain extent. This is because, although physically impossible that the Black Death was caused by a moral decline in society in the mid-14th century, at the time it was widely believed that this was exactly the cause of the disease. Moreover, after the Black Death lifestyle in England changed radically and there was a new ideology held by many, especially serfs, as to how life should be lived and whether in fact the role of God and religion as a part of life was in fact as necessary as they had thought before they were ‘unfairly’ punished for their moral wrongdoing. This lead to a substantial decline in social traditions and collective belief in ‘appropriate behaviour’ within society.
by
mwalsh94 (student)
