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    Ethical Relativism

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    Karelle Malasaga
    Ethical relativism holds that moral values are valid relative to culture or individual choice, with no universally valid moral principles. Arguments for ethical relativism include: [1] Cultural differences argument that different societies have different moral ideas; [2] Argument from respect that it encourages acceptance of other cultures' morality; [3] Psychological argument that moral truths depend on one's upbringing. However, critics argue that: [1] Tolerance cannot justify all moral differences; [2] One's free will is more important than conditioning in forming morality; [3] Conformity argument improperly makes the majority view the only legitimate morality. While ethical relativism appeals to some for its cultural diversity, its arguments do not prove the

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    Ethical Relativism

    Uploaded by

    Karelle Malasaga
    60 views11 pages
    Ethical relativism holds that moral values are valid relative to culture or individual choice, with no universally valid moral principles. Arguments for ethical relativism include: [1] Cultural differences argument that different societies have different moral ideas; [2] Argument from respect that it encourages acceptance of other cultures' morality; [3] Psychological argument that moral truths depend on one's upbringing. However, critics argue that: [1] Tolerance cannot justify all moral differences; [2] One's free will is more important than conditioning in forming morality; [3] Conformity argument improperly makes the majority view the only legitimate morality. While ethical relativism appeals to some for its cultural diversity, its arguments do not prove the

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    ETHICAL RELATIVISM

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    Ethical relativism holds that moral values are valid relative to culture or individual choice, with no universally valid moral principles. Arguments for ethical relativism include: [1] Cultural differences argument that different societies have different moral ideas; [2] Argument from respect that it encourages acceptance of other cultures' morality; [3] Psychological argument that moral truths depend on one's upbringing. However, critics argue that: [1] Tolerance cannot justify all moral differences; [2] One's free will is more important than conditioning in forming morality; [3] Conformity argument improperly makes the majority view the only legitimate morality. While ethical relativism appeals to some for its cultural diversity, its arguments do not prove the

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    © All Rights Reserved
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    60 views11 pages

    Ethical Relativism

    Uploaded by

    Karelle Malasaga
    Ethical relativism holds that moral values are valid relative to culture or individual choice, with no universally valid moral principles. Arguments for ethical relativism include: [1] Cultural differences argument that different societies have different moral ideas; [2] Argument from respect that it encourages acceptance of other cultures' morality; [3] Psychological argument that moral truths depend on one's upbringing. However, critics argue that: [1] Tolerance cannot justify all moral differences; [2] One's free will is more important than conditioning in forming morality; [3] Conformity argument improperly makes the majority view the only legitimate morality. While ethical relativism appeals to some for its cultural diversity, its arguments do not prove the

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    of 11

    ETHICAL AND CULTURAL

    RELATIVISM

    Presented by:
    Jennyrica Baja and Karelle Malasaga
    Ethical Relativism
    ethical relativism is a theory that holds that there are no
    universally valid moral principles; that all moral values are valid
    relative to culture or individual choice. (Fernandez et al. 2018: 51)
    It erases the idea of an objective standard of morality and
    places it on specific or cultural conditions or situations. With this,
    one is inclined to hold on to his personal belief or what his/her
    culture believes to be right or wrong.

    ARGUMENTS FOR ETHICAL RELATIVISM


    The Cultural Differences Argument


    It is uncontroversially true that people in different societies have different
    customs and different ideas about right/good and wrong/bad. There is no
    universal transcultural censensus on which actions are right and wrong, "
    even though there is a considerable oberlapping with regards to this.
    .
    The Argument from Respect
    Through Ethical Relativism, it is believed that leople would become more
    accepting of morality of others, no matter how these may radically
    different from their own. People have to see and realize that yhe other side
    of the fence is not necessarily wrong. They have to stop this "we're right
    and they're wrong" attitude and rather view the other as simply "different".
    ARGUMENTS FOR ETHICAL RELATIVISM
    The Psychological Argument

    Moral truth is relative to one's psycological upbringing. All of us, consciously or


    unconsciously, have been subjected in one way or the other, to some sort of a
    "psychic manipulation" by our "Significant others." Hence, the argument if it is
    sound, procides valid evidence that some kind of ethical relativism is true.
    The Conformity Argument
    As social beings by nature, it is but natural for people to easily affiliate and conform
    to the accepted ethical standards of the particular group that they belong to.
    Though cultural relativism, it is thought that people would come to be more
    accepting of their societal norms. Their belief gives a good basis for a common
    morality within a culture — in fact, a kind of democratic basis
    where "diverse ideas and principles are pooled in, thus ensuring that the norms/
    rules that a certain society would eventually accept have wide and solid support.
    ARGUMENTS FOR ETHICAL RELATIVISM
    The Provability Argument

    Moral truth is relative to one's psycological upbringing. All of us, consciously or


    unconsciously, have been subjected in one way or the other, to some sort of a
    "psychic manipulation" by our "Significant others." Hence, the argument if it is
    sound, procides valid evidence that some kind of ethical relativism is true.
    ARGUMENTS FOR ETHICAL RELATIVISM

    On Cultural Diversity
    Cultural diversity as a sociological and anthropological fact is in itself
    neutral to making any value or moral judgment. It does not necessarily
    deny the objectivity of moral values. What merely it is saying is that
    cultures do vary in so many ways. It does not categorically say whose or
    what culture or cultures is/are doing and practicing what is right.

    On The Argument from Respect


    The major contention here seems to be that “if people think Ethical
    relativism is true, they will be more tolerant of moral differences than they
    would otherwise be”. While tolerance is a virtue, it cannot be practiced
    consistently.
    ARGUMENTS FOR ETHICAL RELATIVISM

    On The Psychological Argument


    Rachels systematically points out in the article “Moral Skepticism” that “even
    granting that the truth of the premise, that we do acquire our moral beliefs by a
    process like the one psychologists described, the conclusion that if we had been
    conditioned differently, we would have different moral beliefs, thus, there’s no
    such thing as objective moral truth, does not follow, hence unsound and invalid.”
    The Psychological argument is indeed guilty of committing the so-called
    “genetic fallacy”. One of the most important and crucial of all these factors … is
    the exercise of the person’s freedom of choice or free will. The human person
    then becomes the sole creator of his/her values, nothing more and nothing less.
    One’s moral development of formation, therefore, is entirely a matter of
    decision, not condition
    ARGUMENTS FOR ETHICAL RELATIVISM

    On The Argument from Conformity

    The obvious problem with this view is that it makes the majority as the only true and
    legitimate voice of what is moral or not. It is them that make or decide what is good
    and bad. Another problem confronting the argument from conformity is the
    undeniable reality of subgroups. It would be easy if we all belong to a homogenous
    group. However, the world is not like that. Instead, our world is a diverse mixture of
    overlapping groups and communities, and people do not always adhere to the rule
    of the majority.
    ARGUMENTS FOR ETHICAL RELATIVISM

    On The Probability Argument

    ts plausibility mainly hangs on how strict and rigid we should take the whole
    question of “proof” in matters pertaining to morality (See Barcalow 199:63). If
    we take proof as we ordinarily construe it to be in day to day, “normal”
    conversation, then we would venture to say that moral issues can be “proved”.
    But if we take it to mean “proof” in the standard scientific sense, then, we would
    say otherwise. However …granting for the sake of the argument, that indeed we
    are uncertain about the morality of some of our actions and decisions, and
    cannot really “prove” them beyond any reasonable doubt. This does not mean
    that it has no answer whatsoever. “Even if there were no solid way to know
    moral truths, it would not follow that there are no such truths”
    Conclusion
    Ethical Relativism is not just a naïve and simple moral
    theory. Its arguments and justifications are firmly rooted in
    a good number of points. This probably explains its
    persistent and perennial appeal and popularity to the
    contemporary mind, especially to the young, to the so-
    called “Millenials,” who have become too suspicious and
    even impervious to the moral absolutes adhered to and
    preached zealously by the older generation

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