Taking Ethics Seriously
Ethical Relativism
Ethical Relativism
• Moral truths are not absolutely true, but “true” relative to some
particular standards
Ethical Relativism
• Moral truths are not absolutely true, but “true” relative to some
particular standards
• One’s culture
Ethical Relativism
• Moral truths are not absolutely true, but “true” relative to some
particular standards
• One’s culture
• One’s personal opinion
Ethical Relativism
• Moral truths are not absolutely true, but “true” relative to some
particular standards
• One’s culture
• Cultural relativism: Moral truths are not absolutely true but are relative to a
particular society.
• One’s personal opinion
Ethical Relativism
• Moral truths are not absolutely true, but “true” relative to some
particular standards
• One’s culture
• Cultural relativism: Moral truths are not absolutely true but are relative to a
particular society.
• Whether an act is right or wrong depends on the moral norms of society and not on an
absolute standard.
• One’s personal opinion
Ethical Relativism
• Moral truths are not absolutely true, but “true” relative to some
particular standards
• One’s culture
• Cultural relativism: Moral truths are not absolutely true but are relative to a
particular society.
• Whether an act is right or wrong depends on the moral norms of society and not on an
absolute standard.
• One’s personal opinion
• Individual relativism: Moral truths are not absolute but relative to individuals.
Ethical Relativism
• Moral truths are not absolutely true, but “true” relative to some
particular standards
• One’s culture
• Cultural relativism: Moral truths are not absolutely true but are relative to a
particular society.
• Whether an act is right or wrong depends on the moral norms of society and not on an
absolute standard.
• One’s personal opinion
• Subjectivism: Moral truths are not absolute but relative to individuals.
• Whether an act is right or wrong depends on the convictions of the person performing it and
not on an absolute standard.
Ethical Relativism
• For some, a corollary to a more general relativism – there’s no “real
world” at all, no “objective truth” about anything.
Ethical Relativism
• For some, a corollary to a more general relativism – there’s no “real
world” at all, no “objective truth” about anything.
• If there are no facts, then of course there aren’t moral facts
NOTHING IS TRUE
NOTHING IS TRUE
Is that true?
Ethical Relativism
• For some, a corollary to a more general relativism – there’s no “real
world” at all, no “objective truth” about anything.
• For others, there may be facts, but just not moral facts. So, realism
about the world but relativism about ethics.
Ethical Relativism
• For some, a corollary to a more general relativism – there’s no “real
world” at all, no “objective truth” about anything.
• For others, there may be facts, but just not moral facts. So, realism
about the world but relativism about ethics.
• Why?
Some things are relative
• “Manners” – these are different from one culture to another, and
within one culture different over time
Some things are relative
• “Manners” – these are different from one culture to another, and
within one culture different over time
• Social coordination rules – e.g. traffic rules
Some things are relative
• “Manners” – these are different from one culture to another, and
within one culture different over time
• Social coordination rules – e.g. traffic rules
• Pluralism of individual preferences
Some things are relative
• “Manners” – these are different from one culture to another, and
within one culture different over time
• Social coordination rules – e.g. traffic rules
• Pluralism of individual preferences
We really do want to understand these sorts of normative claims as relativistic
Ethical relativism gets traction by inviting comparison between those
normative claims which are best understood as relativistic and moral
claims.
Ethical relativism gets traction by inviting comparison between those
normative claims which are best understood as relativistic and moral
claims.
Our question: Is this a warranted move?
Ethical relativism gets traction by inviting comparison between those
normative claims which are best understood as relativistic and moral
claims.
Our question: Is this a warranted move?
So: let’s consider Richter’s four arguments against relativism