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Where did the "there is no universal moral law" meme come from?
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DO RIGHT AND WRONG EXIST?
Or are they just preferences, like preferring chocolate ice cream?
What is right or wrong
is up to each individual person
to decide
Is this right?
or wrong?
the same idea can be
expressed
this way:
There are no
universal moral
laws
BUT
“There are no universal moral laws”
IS a
universal moral law
The “law of
noncontradiction” is the most fundamental
law
of rationalit
y
a statement cannot be both true and
not true at the same time
“What is right or wrong
is up to each individual person
to decide”is an ethical
position called
“moral relativism”
it is not any
more self-evident
than other ethical
positions
such as
natural law
philosophies:
People perceive injustice naturally
And these perceptions
are very similar
in different cultures:
There is a
universal moral law
written in the human
heart
It is wrongTo betray a
friend
It is wrong
To harm the
innocent
It is right
To help the poor
It is rightTo show mercy
Many major moral
philosophers
have believed some version of
Natural Law
Morality
One reason they
rejectmoral
relativismis that it leads to
conclusions
That arerepugna
ntto reason
If moral relativismis true,
there is no rational way
to choose
between
Barnesor
Elias(in Platoon)
If moral relativismis true,
there is no rational way
to choose
between
Adolph Hitler
or
Mother Theresa
If moral relativismis true,
there is no rational way
to choose
between
Rachel Scott
or
those who killed her at
Columbine
If moral relativismis true,
reasonfails
If reason
fails
there cannot be
justice
SO,
If moral relativism
is not self-evident
And if moral relativism
is not strongly Supported
by
Reason(Moral Philosophy)
How did
moral relativism
become so widespread
in America?
Why do so many young people
repeat slogans
from
moral relativism
as though they areobvious truths?
This is a
HistoricalQuestion(rather than a moral or a
philosophical one)
moral relativismwas
advocated by
cultural critics
inspired by Marxist
philosophy:
the “New Leftists”
(during the 1960s)
Albert CamusEmma GoldmanR. D. LaingHerbert MarcuseBertrand RussellJean-Paul Sarte
Bill AyersStokely CarmichaelAngela DavisAbbie HoffmanJerry RubinMaria Savio
After the sixties, New Left
intellectualswent on to influential positions
in universities& the media
“Demoralizing” America
Was a step preparing people
to acceptthe secular state as the source of
all values
Karl Marx believed there were no
universal moral codes
Ethics were
relative to the economic
situations of each individual
society
How has America
Changed
Since the 1960s?
One of the most influential works of
sociologyin recent years is
Bowling Alone
By Robert Putnam
His thesis is that
America has undergone a dramatic
loss of “social capital”
Social CapitalIncludes forms of
Community and
relationship that are as important as money
The title, “Bowling Alone”
Comes from his data:
Since the 1960s, league bowling has
undergone a dramatic decline.
“social capital”
“social capital”
Membership in bowling leagues peaked in the mid-1960s.
What was more significant:
many
measures of community began
to decline in the 1960s
His thesis is that
America has undergone a dramatic
loss of “social capital”
Voluntary Club Meeting Attendance
His thesis is that
America has undergone a dramatic
loss of “social capital”
Charitable Giving
His thesis is that
America has undergone a dramatic
loss of “social capital”
Trust: Can Most People Be Trusted?
other measuresof the well being of
societyhave gone up
Other measureof the well being of
societyHave gone up
Greed Among College Freshmen, 1966-1978
Other measureof the well being of
societyHave gone up
Crime: Hiring of police and guards
Is societygetting better?
or worse?
From the viewpoint
ofmoral
relativism
the question has no
meaning