Chapter Two:Chapter Two:Ethical RelativismEthical Relativism

Ethical Relativism holds that there are Ethical Relativism holds that there are no objective moral principles, but no objective moral principles, but that such principles are human that such principles are human inventions.inventions.

EthnocentrismEthnocentrism

The prejudicial view that interprets all of The prejudicial view that interprets all of reality through the eyes of one's own reality through the eyes of one's own cultural beliefs and valuescultural beliefs and values

Moral ObjectivismMoral Objectivism

The view that there are universal and The view that there are universal and objective moral principles valid for all people objective moral principles valid for all people and social environments.and social environments.

Ethical NihilismEthical Nihilism

The doctrine that holds that there are no The doctrine that holds that there are no valid moral principles that exist.valid moral principles that exist.

Morality is a complete fiction.Morality is a complete fiction.

Two Main Forms ofTwo Main Forms of Ethical Relativism Ethical Relativism

Subjective ethical relativism (Subjectivism):Subjective ethical relativism (Subjectivism):– All moral principles are justified by virtue of their All moral principles are justified by virtue of their

acceptance by an individual agent him- or acceptance by an individual agent him- or herselfherself

Conventional ethical relativism Conventional ethical relativism (Conventionalism):(Conventionalism):– All moral principles are justified by virtue of their All moral principles are justified by virtue of their

cultural acceptancecultural acceptance

Subjective Ethical RelativismSubjective Ethical Relativism

Morality depends not on society, but rather Morality depends not on society, but rather on the individual.on the individual.

Morality is like taste or aesthetic judgment.Morality is like taste or aesthetic judgment. Morality is in the eye of the beholder.Morality is in the eye of the beholder. Does not help the minimal moral aim of Does not help the minimal moral aim of

preventing a Hobbesian preventing a Hobbesian state of naturestate of nature Implicitly assumes Implicitly assumes moral solipsismmoral solipsism, a view , a view

that isolated individuals make up separate that isolated individuals make up separate universesuniverses

The Diversity ThesisThe Diversity Thesis

What is considered morally right and wrong What is considered morally right and wrong varies from society to society, so there are varies from society to society, so there are no universal moral standards held by all no universal moral standards held by all societiessocieties

An Anthropological theory that An Anthropological theory that acknowledges that moral rules differ from acknowledges that moral rules differ from society to societysociety to society

Sometimes referred to as Sometimes referred to as cultural relativismcultural relativism

Dependency ThesisDependency Thesis

All moral principles derive their validity from All moral principles derive their validity from cultural acceptancecultural acceptance

Asserts individual acts are right or wrong Asserts individual acts are right or wrong depending on the nature of the society in depending on the nature of the society in which the occurwhich the occur

Morality must be seen in a context that Morality must be seen in a context that depends on the goals, wants, beliefs, depends on the goals, wants, beliefs, history, and environment of the society in history, and environment of the society in questionquestion

Conventional Ethical RelativismConventional Ethical Relativism

This view states that there are no objective This view states that there are no objective moral principles, but that all valid moral moral principles, but that all valid moral principles are justified by virtue of their principles are justified by virtue of their cultural acceptance.cultural acceptance.

This view recognizes the social nature of This view recognizes the social nature of morality.morality.

Treats the Treats the principle of toleranceprinciple of tolerance as an as an absolute moral principleabsolute moral principle

Criticisms of Conventional Criticisms of Conventional Ethical RelativismEthical Relativism

Undermines important valuesUndermines important values Leads to subjectivismLeads to subjectivism Moral diversity is exaggeratedMoral diversity is exaggerated Weak dependency does not imply relativismWeak dependency does not imply relativism

The Indeterminacy of LanguageThe Indeterminacy of Language The The indeterminacy of translationindeterminacy of translation argument argument Holds that languages are often so Holds that languages are often so

fundamentally different from each other that fundamentally different from each other that we cannot accurately translate concepts we cannot accurately translate concepts from one to anotherfrom one to another

Holds that language is the essence of a Holds that language is the essence of a culture and fundamentally shapes its realityculture and fundamentally shapes its reality

Seems to imply that each society's moral Seems to imply that each society's moral principles depend on its unique linguistically principles depend on its unique linguistically grounded culturegrounded culture

ConclusionConclusion

Subjective ethical relativism seems to boil Subjective ethical relativism seems to boil down to anarchistic individualismdown to anarchistic individualism

Conventional ethical relativism fails to deal Conventional ethical relativism fails to deal adequately with the problem of the reformer, adequately with the problem of the reformer, the question of defining a culture, and the the question of defining a culture, and the whole enterprise of moral criticismwhole enterprise of moral criticism

Unless moral objectivism can make a Unless moral objectivism can make a positive case, relativism may survive positive case, relativism may survive criticismscriticisms