1. existing or occurring before the development of ethical systems or moral consciousness; preceding the establishment of moral principles
Usage: philosophical or academic usage; often used in discussions of human development or evolutionary history

Examples

• Some philosophers argue that infants exist in a preethical state before developing moral reasoning.
• The preethical stage of human evolution lacked the cognitive capacity for moral judgment.
• In preethical societies, behavior was governed by instinct rather than moral codes.
• The child's preethical behavior gradually transformed as she learned social norms.
• Anthropologists debate whether certain ancient cultures were truly preethical or simply operated under different moral systems.