A major moral concern when examining Captain Jack Sparrow is the needs of society versus his own personal needs. According to Reinhold Niebuhr's Moral Man and Immoral Society, "from the perspective of society, the highest moral ideal is justice. From the perspective of the individual the highest ideal is unselfishness." Furthermore, "The most perfect justice cannot be established if the moral imagination of the individual does not seek to comprehend the needs and interests of his fellows." Captain Jack Sparrow does seek to comprehend the needs and interests of his fellows. He chooses to aid Will Turner in his search for Elizabeth Swann even though he is not obligated to do so.

However, Niebuhr also claims that "from the internal perspective the most moral act is one which is actuated by disinterested motives." Captain Jack Sparrow's motives are most certainly not disinterested. His primary drive throughout the movie is getting back at his mutinous crew and reclaiming his beloved ship, the Black Pearl.

While Niebuhr claims that "historically the internal perspective has usually been cultivated by religion. For religion proceeds from profound introspection and naturally makes good motives the criteria of good conduct," Captain Jack Sparrow shows no religious convictions as the basis of his motives. Neither do any of the other characters, for that matter. In their world, gold and rum are their religion.

Captain Jack Sparrow's actions and Will Turner's acceptance of them seem more permissable when examined in light of Niebuhr's argument that "an irrational society accepts injustice because it does not analyze the pretensions made by the powerful and privileged groups of society." In the society that these actions take place, the powerful and privileged groups of society are not willing to fully devote themselves to the end of piracy and injustice. Jack's redeeming quality is in the fact that he is trying to accomplish a goal with the people of power in Port Royal are unwilling to attempt. Though the end results of saving an innocent captive and ending a pirate threat are both good, the military leaders of the area would not commit themselves to accomplishing them until long after Jack had done so.