ETHICAL

RELATIVISM
AND
UNIVERSAL
ETHICAL PRACTICES
 ETHICS AND RELATIVISM

• ETHICS : ETHICS REFERS TO THE STUDY OF MORAL PRINCIPLES THAT

GOVERN A PERSON'S BEHAVIOR OR THE CONDUCT OF A GROUP. IT
INVOLVES DISTINGUISHING BETWEEN WHAT IS RIGHT AND WRONG,
AND IT GUIDES INDIVIDUALS IN MAKING DECISIONS BASED ON MORAL
VALUES.

• RELATIVISM : THE IDEA OF SEEING, MEASURING OR JUDGING A THING

WITH REFERENCE TO OR IN COMPARISION TO ANOTHER THING.
 ETHICAL RELATIVISM

ETHICAL RELATIVISM OR MORAL RELATIVISM IS THE IDEA THAT

ETHICAL OR MORAL VALUES AND BELIEFS ARE RELATIVE TO THE
VARIOUS INDIVIDUALS OR SOCIETIES THAT HOLD THEM.
THERE IS NO OBJECTIVE OR ABSOLUTE RIGHT AND WRONG.

WHAT IS RIGHT FOR ONE PERSON OR SOCIETY IS NOT NECESSARILY RIGHT FOR
ANOTHER PERSON OR ANOTHER SOCIETY.
 ETHICAL RELATIVISM
PERSONAL OR INDIVIDUAL ETHICAL
RELATIVISM
• ETHICAL JUDGEMENTS AND BELIEFS
ARE THE EXPRESSIONS OF THE
MORAL OUTLOOK AND ATTITUDES
OF INDIVIDUALS.

• THERE IS NO OBJECTIVE STANDARD

OF RIGHT OR WRONG IN AS MUCH
AS THE INDIVIDUAL IS THE BASIS OF
MORAL JUDGEMENT.
 ETHICAL RELATIVISM
SOCIAL OR CULTURAL ETHICAL
RELATIVISM
• ETHICAL VALUES AND BELIEFS
VARY FROM SOCIETY TO
SOCIETY; THE BASIS OF MORAL
JUDGEMENT LIES IN THESE
SOCIAL OR CULTURAL VIEWS.

• NO SOCIETY’S VIEW IS BETTER

THAN ANY OTHER IN A TRANS-
CULTURAL SENSE.
 IN SUPPORT OF ETHICAL RELATIVISM
• DIVERSITY OF MORAL VALUES :
• PRESENCE OF DISAGREEMENTS ON MANY ETHICAL ISSUES OR EVEN ON BASIC
MORAL VALUES

• MORAL UNCERTAINITY :
• THERE IS GREAT DIFFICULTY IN KNOWING WHAT IS THE MORALLY RIGHT
THING TO DO OR BELIEVE.

• SITUATIONAL DIFFERENCES :
• SITUATIONS AND LIFE OF DIFFERENT PEOPLE VARY SO MUCH
 CRITIQUE OF ETHICAL RELATIVISM
• CULTURAL RELATIVISM SEEMS TO BE A FACT, BUT
DOES NOT ESTABLISH THE TRUTH OF ETHICAL
RELATIVISM.
• BELIEFS AND ENVIRONMENT CHANGE IN ANY SOCIETY
OVER TIME.
• IF MORAL PRINCIPLES ARE SO FICKLE, DOES THAT
MAKE THEM INVALID?
• INDETERMINACY OF TRANSLATION.
 SUMMARY

RELATIVIST ETHICAL THEORIES :

• MAINTAIN THAT TRUTH IS SUBJECTIVE.
• MAINTAIN THAT ALL TRUTH AND MORALITY ARE A MATTER OF
OPINION.
• ETHICAL SUBJECTISM : TRUTH IS A MATTER OF PERSONAL OPINION
• CULTURAL RELATIVISM : TRUTH IS A MATTER OF MY CULTURE’S OPINION
UNIVERSAL
ETHICAL
PRACTICES
 UNIVERSAL ETHICAL
VALUES
• MORE BASIC THAN INDIVIDUAL AND CULTURAL DIFFERENCES ARE THE
STRANDS OF COMMONALITY RUNNING THROUGH THE HUMAN RACE

• HUMANS ARE ONE SPECIES SHARING COMMON ORIGIN AND THE SAME 32
PAIRS OF CHROMOSOMES

• CERTAIN COMMON INSTICTS/DESIRES ARE HARWIRED INTO THE VERY

EXISTENCE OF THE ENTIRE SPECIES WHICH PREPARE THE GROUNDS FOR
COMMON UNIVERSAL VALUES
 UNIVERSAL VALUES
• BASIC INSTINCTS • UNIVERSAL HUMAN VALUES
• PEACE
• PRESERVATION OF LIFE
• FREEDOM
• SUSTENANCE OF LIFE
• SOCIAL PROGRESS
• PROCREATION
• EQUAL RIGHTS
• AFFECTION • HUMAN DIGNITY
• FEAR
 UNIVERSAL VALUES
• A VALUE IS A UNIVERSAL VALUE IF IT HAS THE SAME WORTH FOR
ALL.
• UNIVERSAL VALUES APPLY ACROSS COUNTRIES, CULTURES AND
RELIGIONS.

• THE CLAIM FOR UNIVERSAL VALUES CAN BE UNDERSTOOD IN TWO

DIFFERENT WAYS :
• SOMETHING HAS UNIVERSAL VALUE WHEN EVERYBODY FINDS IT
VALUABLE
• SOMETHING COULD HAVE UNIVERSAL VALUE WHEN ALL PEOPLE HAVVE
REASON TO BELIEVE IT HAS VALUE
THANK YOU