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Ethical Relativism

Ethical Relativism

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Ethical relativity explained.

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  • Ethical Relativism

  • RelativismEthical Relativism is the view that what is right or wrong is fully determined by either the individual making the decision or by culture (in which the person is acting, from which he or she comes, etc.)There is no objective moral truth, such as a set of moral principles which apply to all persons/cultures.

  • Ethical relativism represents the position that there are no moral absolutes, no moral right or wrong. Slavery is a good example of ethical relativism. Repeatedly the value of a human being is determined by a combination of social preferences and patterns, experience, emotions, and rules that seemed to bring about the most benefit.

  • Ethical relativism is the theory that holds that morality is relative to the norms of one's culture. That is, whether an action is right or wrong depends on the moral norms of the society in which it is practiced. The same action may be morally right in one society but be morally wrong in another. For the ethical relativist, there are no universal moral standards -- standards that can be universally applied to all peoples at all times. The only moral standards against which a society's practices can be judged are its own. If ethical relativism is correct, there can be no common framework for resolving moral disputes or for reaching agreement on ethical matters among members of different societies.

  • Two forms of ethical relativismSubjective relativism: the correctness or incorrectness of moral claims is fully determined by the beliefs and convictions of the person making the judgment.Cultural relativism: the correctness or incorrectness of moral claims is fully determined by the beliefs and convictions of a particular cultural perspective.

  • Subjective relativism:Arguments forOur experience is that everyone has his or her own view of what is right and wrong.

    Saying there is no objective right or wrong seems to support tolerance.

  • Subjective relativismArguments againstSubjective relativism conflicts with our basic moral intuitions.Subjective relativism makes moral disagreement impossible, which seems counterintuitive.If subjective relativism were true, one could never be mistaken in his or her ethical judgements.

  • Subjective relativismArguments againstSubjective relativism conflicts with our basic moral intuitions.Dont we want to say that some things are morally wrong, even if the person performing them thinks they are right?A parent badly beating or abusing a child.The Virginia Tech shooter.(massacre was a school shooting that took place on Monday, April 16, 2007)Believing that something is morally justified does not make it morally right.

  • Is Suicide justifiable ?YES.Veluthampi DalawaNO.Indian FarmersMore than 1,500 Indian farmers committed suicide after being pushed into debt through crop failures. The reason for the crop failures have been blamed on falling water irrigation levels, climate change and the increasing globalization of water rights.

  • Subjective relativismArguments againstSubjective relativism makes moral disagreement impossible, which seems counterintuitive.Imagine that you have gotten an A on all of the exams, exercises and have always come to class and participated. I give you an F. You say I am wrong to do that. I say I believe you deserve an F and so I am right. Dont we disagree on what I should (morally) have done?

  • Subjective relativismArguments againstIf subjective relativism were true, one could never be mistaken in his or her ethical judgments.The following statement would be incoherent: I used to believe that paying women less was morally okay, but now I see that unequal pay for women is morally wrong. I was wrong in my previous belief.

  • Cultural relativism: Morality based on culture aloneArguments forThe is no doubt that our culture impacts our moral intutions.Different cultures endorse different moral and legal practices.Cultural relativism appears to be a very tolerant and peaceful solution.

  • Cultural relativism: Morality based on culture aloneArguments againstCultural relativism does not really advance cooperation between cultures.

    If a culture is aggressive and intolerant, cultural relativism has no basis to critique it.

    The best way to find a basis for cooperation is shared moral values, not no values.

  • Cultural relativism: Morality based on culture aloneArguments againstCultural relativism cannot make sense of moral prophets or social critics.It implies that Martin Luther King, Jr. was immoral to work against segregation.In general, it gives us no basis for praising anyone who stands up against his or her own culture on moral grounds.

  • Cultural relativism: Morality based on culture aloneArguments againstThe argument from anthropological diversity is unsound:Anthropological diversity does not imply ethical relativism. (The fact that cultures disagree about what is right or wrong, does not imply that there is no objective right or wrong.)There is more uniformity across cultures than many people recognize. Difference may be based on differences in non-moral beliefs.

  • Values of relativismWe should not assume our thinking is free from cultural bias. It is for all of us.When we are learning about other cultures, sometimes we need to try to set aside our immediate moral judgements and try to understand others as they are.

  • Differentiation b/w ethical universalism and relativism Ethical Universalism says that there are universal moral codes, things that are right or wrong, either ordained by God or by some natural moral law of the universe. Ethical relativism says that it really depends on the way you view things.

  • ExampleUniversalism - Murder is wrong because God says it's wrong.Relativism - Murder is wrong, for some people, but it's okay sometimes, like during war or when you are murdering a serial killer.