decline of ethical standards; moral decay
Formal, somewhat literary term for the corruption or collapse of moral principles in society. Often used in critical or philosophical contexts.
The decline of ethical standards in recent society has become a serious problem.
In his book, he harshly criticized the moral decay of modern times.
道徳退廃 also means moral decay, but focuses on morality (道徳) rather than human relations and ethics (人倫). 人倫退廃 carries a nuance of the breakdown of proper human relationships and societal norms.
倫理崩壊 means 'collapse of ethics' and is more direct and modern. 人倫退廃 is more literary and implies a gradual decline rather than sudden collapse.
Standard kanji spelling.
Variant using 頽 (a rare character for 'decline') instead of 退.
Compound of 人倫 (human relations, ethics) and 退廃 (decline, decay). The exact historical derivation is uncertain; the spelling is conventionally associated with the meaning.