B.

MORAL
RELATIVISM

Thesis: Morality is relative

to the individual.
 https://ethicsunwrapped.utexas.edu/
glossary/moral-relativism | 2:00 min OR
https://bit.ly/2ayoh7v
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=5RU7M6JSVtk&t=33s]
 RELATIVE ETHICS

Qs: What makes something right or wrong? and Where

does right and wrong come from?

 it becomes tempting to say that right and wrong are just a

matter of opinion, since what is regarded as right or wrong
in one culture may not be seen in the same way in another
culture as right and wrong seem culturally relative.

 Ethical standards seem to change, and there is so much

disagreement between cultural practices that ethical
relativism, the view that right and wrong are always
relative, seems justified (see Figure 1.1 / see next slide).
 Figure 1.1

• Those who defend the idea that ethics is relative emphasize the
differences among ethical judgments and the various ethical
traditions.

• Relativists call these cultural and ethical traditions folkways,

highlighting the ways and customs simply developed by average
people (folk) over long periods of time.
 social scientist William G. Sumner describes the folkways…are
not creations of human purpose and wit…From this it results
that all the life of human beings, in all ages and stages of
culture, is controlled by a vast mass of folkways handed down
from the earliest existence of the race.
 Relativists believe that ethical differences between cultures are
irreconcilable because each society today has its own unique
history and set of ethical standards.

 Cultural Relativism is the theory that different cultures have

different practices, standards, and values.

Q: What is noticeable about ethical relativism, in contrast with

cultural relativism?

 Ethical relativism makes a much stronger and more

controversial claim about the nature of ethics; views that all
ethical standards are relative, to the degree that there are no
permanent, universal, objective values or standards;
 Ethical relativist’s claim goes beyond observation and

predicts that all ethical standards, even the ones we have

not yet observed, will always be relative.

 Simply put, ethical relativism is an ethical theory, hence its

name; cultural relativism is not an ethical theory as it simply
views that cultures differ and display much diversity.
 CULTURAL RELATIVISM OR ETHICAL
RELATIVISM?
 Anthropologist Ruth Benedict has put it: “The diversity of
cultures can be endlessly documented” (1934: 45).

 For example, consider wife and child battering, polygamy,

cannibalism, or infanticide where these practices are
morally acceptable in some cultures (subcultures at least).
Western culture, by contrast, regards these practices as
immoral and illegal.

 Bottomline: by comparing different cultures, we can

easily see differences between them, not just on ethical
matters, but on many different levels.

https://bookshelf.vitalsource.com/reader/books/9781119150701/
 WAYS TO UNDERSTAND MORAL
RELATIVISM
1. Descriptive: describes the way
things are, without suggesting a way
they should be when people
frequently disagree over what is the
most “moral” course of action.
2. Meta-ethical: is the position that
the truth or the falsity of moral
judgments is not objective as it is
relative to the traditions,
convictions, or practices of an
individual or group of people.
3. Normative: is the position that
because there is no universal moral
standard by which we can judge
others, we should tolerate the
behavior of others, even when it is
against our personal or cultural
moral standards.
 FORMS

1. Ethical 2. Cultural Relativism

Subjectivism - - morality is relative
morality is relative to culture.
to individuals.

• Both deny the existence of moral

absolutes.
 TYPICAL EXPRESSIONS

 Have you ever heard these expressions? Maybe

you have used them yourself.

1. What’s true for you may not be true for me.

2. Nothing is right or wrong but thinking makes it
so.
3. Ethical judgments are just a matter of opinion.
4. Anything goes.
5. One man’s meat is another man’s poison (in
regard, of course, to morals).
6. We should not judge another’s personal morality.
7. No society is better or worse than another
(regarding social ethics).
SOME TERMS IMPORTANT TO KNOW /
UNDERSTAND

 The opposite of relativism is absolutism.

 Absolute means fixed and unchanging.

Norms that are absolute are valid at all time
and in all cultures.
 IN SUMMARY,

 Moral Relativism
values are determined
by the society we
grow up in, and there
are no universal
values….
 TO CONCLUDE…

 Ethical relativists hold that there is no kind of

action that is always, everywhere and for
everyone right or wrong.

 Ethical universalists hold that there is some (at

least one) kind of action that is always,
everywhere and for everyone right or wrong and
do not claim that every kind of action is either
always right or always wrong!
https://ethicsunwrapped.utexas.edu/glossary/moral-relativism#
 A[M1]

 Asynchronous class on November 19, 2021 [Friday], or November 20, 2021

[Saturday].

 This is an individual task.

 Read the instructions very carefully posted/attached in the Assignment tool.

 Computerize your work [Font style: Times New Roman, Arial, Calibri; Font
size: 12 or 14].

 Observe the mechanics of writing.

 Submit on the same day up to your regular class schedule only.

 Late submission will not be accepted.

 RUBRIC – A[M1]
 Focus = 5 points
Takes a clear position in response to the scenario’s argument (for, against, or some
third perspective); directly engages the claims and evidence offered in the scenario;
makes clear (and fair) distinctions between the article’s positions and their own
personal stances/investments

 Structure = 15 points
Essay is clearly organized around the student’s own ideas, rather than relying on a
chronological (point-by-point) response to the claims in the scenario, elaborating on
and supporting the central thesis; individual paragraphs are cohesive, the
organization guides readers through a logical progression of ideas from one
paragraph to the next

 Evidence/Analysis = 10 points
Supports claims with well-chosen examples from the scenario, as well as anecdotes or
observations from own experience; explains clearly how each
example/anecdote/piece of evidence supports claims; demonstrates a thorough
understanding of the scenario’s use of the evidence while also offering his/her own
(perhaps differing, but fair) interpretations of the same data when appropriate
https://lsa.umich.edu/.../Sample_AnalyticRubric.pdf
 ASSIGNED READING
M1-WEEK 3
 MORAL THEORIES: c. Hedonism, d. Egoism pp. 71-75
e. Emotivism pp. 216-219

 Material: The Ethics Toolkit: A Compendium of

Ethical Concepts and Methods [letters c & d
topics]
Author: Julian Baggini
Link: https://bookshelf.vitalsource.com/#/books/978144432673

 Material: Cengage Advantage Ethics: Discovering

Right and Wrong [letter e. topic]
Author: Louis Pojman
Link: https://bookshelf.vitalsource.com/#/books/9781305856783