Understanding Ethical Relativism

• Ethical relativism concerns the extent to which ethical theories can determine what is morally right and wrong.

What Is Ethical Relativism?

• Ethical relativism posits no universally accepted ethical standards exist.
• It suggests there's no objective standard of right and wrong, with views being relative to individuals or societies.
• Views are a result of what individuals or societies believe.
• Objectivism (or nonrelativism) is the opposing view, asserting objective right and wrong.
• Unlike science, morality seems subjective, leading to the conclusion that morality is a function of moral beliefs.

Two Forms of Ethical Relativism

• Ethical relativism has two main forms: personal/individual and social/cultural.
• Personal ethical relativism: Ethical judgments are expressions of individual moral outlooks.
• Each person's views are neither better nor more correct, as there are no objective standards.
• Social ethical relativism: Ethical values vary across societies.
• Moral judgments are based in social or cultural views.
• To do right, individuals must follow societal norms.
• No society's views are superior in a transcultural sense.

Reasons Supporting Ethical Relativism

• Common reasons include the diversity of moral views, moral uncertainty, and situational differences.

The Diversity of Moral Views

• Diversity exists among people and cultures.
• Science results in general agreement despite diversity, but ethics does not.

Moral Uncertainty

• There is difficulty knowing the morally right action to take.
• Uncertainty extends to knowing what's morally most important.
• People distrust their judgments, leading to the generalization that all moral judgments are subjective.

Situational Differences

• Situations differ across cultures and times.
• Situations and living worlds of different people vary significantly.
• It's difficult to apply universal morality across diverse circumstances and individuals.

Are These Reasons Convincing?

• Evaluating nonrelativist/objectivist responses to the Diversity of Moral Views, Moral Uncertainty, and Situational Differences

The Diversity of Moral Views

• Consider the depth and breadth of disagreement and what disagreement proves.
• Seeming disagreements may stem from differing factual beliefs rather than moral values.
• Disagreements on the relative value of things also exist.
• Disagreement doesn't negate the possibility of an objective answer, as seen in the sciences.

Moral Uncertainty

• Moral complexity can cause uncertainty making Skepticism, not relativism.
• Dissatisfaction and the search for better choices imply an underlying belief in an objective better choice.
• Science and history clarify over time, but progress in ethical matters is less clear.

Situational Differences

• Objective value of health is an example.
• Health contributors differ, but health is still a standard value.
• Justice which is objective, involves giving each his or her due.
• However, what is due differs across situations.
• Objectivism need not equate to absolutism.
• Actions that vary doesn't invalidate the objective of justice and fairness.

Further Considerations

• Both relativism and nonrelativism face challenges.
• Social relativists must define "society" amid the influences in my country, state, family or peers.
• One problem with the social relativist who hold that moral values are a reflection of society Views of that society can change.
• Individual relativists face the problem of conflicting internal moral feelings.
• Both types of relativists struggle to justify tolerance.
• Absolutists adopt views without evaluation.

Moral Realism

• Examines ethical implications of whether good is independent of those who know it.
• Suggests that there is a real existing fact of goodness that can be sensed.
• Goodness supervenes from other qualities such as those of courage, genorosity, and honesty.
• Moral reality may be relational, fitting actions to situations, but it is complex.

Moral Pluralism

• Considers if moral truths are singular (one primary principle) or multiple (various valid principles/values).
• Highlights potential conflicts between equally valid principles.
• Raises questions on how ultimate, subjective choices can be grounded objectively.
• Belief that choices can be made and that objective assessment is possible.
• Ethical relativism says the study to improve moral judgement could not be achieved
• Utilitarianism and Kant's Moral Theory are objective.
• Theories such as human nature and what perfects it can also be objective.