A fascinating way to look at any culture, either ancient or nascent, is to look at what they deem to be right and wrong. Some behaviors will be strongly rewarded, while other will be strongly dissuaded. The latter, the taboos, are very interesting indeed.

Taboo, etymologically speaking, simply means that which is forbidden. Most of these forbidden behaviors appear to be culturally derived. To go against one is to be subject to severe punishment or even complete removal from the group. A healthy sense of personal guilt usually is enough to keep them from occurring. And, as will be seen, some taboos are common to almost all cultures for sound reasons.

Many foods are deemed unfit to eat by many cultures. Some foods are allowed by many will not allowed by a few. A good example is the consumption of mushrooms. Wild fungi have the reputation of being poisonous, but some cultures embrace this poison as a religious rite, while others disallow even touching them. This makes sense when you understand that certain mushrooms kill those who eat them. Pork suffers the same attitudes to this very day and is on the list of taboo foods in many cultures.

Sexual behaviors are culturally defined most everywhere, and some types of sex are taboo almost all the time. Primary among these is the act of incest. But why is this act so inherently reprehensible to most all of humanity? Is it because when we see the results of it in nature we are repulsed by the resulting deformities and deaths? Why would some ancient cultures support the act, like the ancient and royal Egyptians are rumored to have, while others will kill any who do so? What defines this idea?

Another quite common taboo is that of eating other humans. Some cultural groups have practiced this tradition, only occasionally, without doing too much internal damage. Others have been decimated by disease that only occur within cannibalistic societies. Could the macabre practice be forbidden for baser reasons than the grossness factor? While it is understandable that some, if starving, would resort to such activities, most of us would never even consider the idea. Why would this be so?

Taking these three examples, from the many thousands available, begins to show why forbidden acts become so vehemently forbidden in the first place. It is to ensure survival above all else. Biological imperatives become cultural mores for the same reason, and that is to keep the tribe alive.

So perhaps it may be that morality is not a question of what we think is good or bad on a conscious level, perhaps it is a way to rationalize what we do on a subconscious level. We are thinking animals, so we tend to create meaning where there may be none. Taboos have evolved into extremely important codes of conduct over time. Maybe they began as mere instincts for survival.