Transcript Document

Introduction to Philosophy
Week Four
Morality: Objective, Relative or Emotive?
Dr. Matthew Chrisman
Empirical Judgments
The earth and other planets rotate
around sun.
There are + and - electrical charges.
Some traits in plants are genetically
inherited.
The so-called “God” particle is real.
Empirical Judgments
Lead is heavier than iron.
It was sunny in Edinburgh today.
I am less than 6 feet tall.
6 feet = 72 inches
Moral Judgments
Giving to charity is morally
good.
Taking care of your children
is morally required.
Protesting injustice is
morally right.
Moral Judgments
Cain killing Abel out of jealousy was
morally wrong.
Oedipus sleeping with his mother was
morally bad.
Genocide is morally abhorent.
Polygamy is morally dubious
Empirical Judgments
1. The earth rotates around the sun.
2. It was sunny in Edinburgh today.
Moral Judgments
3. Genocide is morally abhorrent.
4. Polygamy is morally dubious.
Three questions about these judgments:
A. Are they the sorts of judgments that can be true or false
– or are they mere opinion?
B. If they can be true/false, what makes them true/false?
C. If they are true, are they objectively true?
Two Examples
Genocide is morally abhorrent.
Polygamy is morally dubious.
Three Questions
A. Are they the sorts of judgments that can be true or false
– or are they mere opinion?
B. If they can be true/false, what makes them true/false?
C. If they are true, are they objectively true?
Objectivism
Basic idea: our moral judgments are the sorts
of things that can be true or false, and what
makes them true or false are facts that are
generally independent of who we are or what
cultural groups we belong to – they are
objective moral facts.
“The earth rotates around the sun.”
• Capable of being true/false.
• Made true by relative trajectory of earth and sun.
• Objectively true.
“Genocide is morally wrong.”
Objectivism:
• Capable of being true/false.
• Made true by wrongness of genocide.
• Objectively true.
“Polygamy is morally dubious.”
Objectivism:
• Capable of being true/false.
• Made true/false by the morality of polygamy.
• Objectively true.
Relativism
Basic idea: our moral judgments are indeed
true or false, but they’re only true or false
relative to something that can vary between
people.
“One must drive on the left.”
• Capable of being true/false
• Made true by laws in force in particular jurisdictions
• True relative to jurisdiction
“Polygamy is morally dubious.”
Relativism:
• Capable of being true/false.
• Made true by particular subjective feelings.
• True relative to personal feelings.
“Oedipus’ sleeping with his mother
was morally bad.”
Relativism:
• Capable of being true/false.
• Made true by particular subjective feelings.
• True relative to personal feelings.
Subjectivism
A form of Relativism
Basic idea: our moral judgments are indeed
true or false, but they’re only true or false
relative to the subjective feelings of the person
who makes them. “X is bad” = “I dislike X”
“Okra is yummy.”
Subjectivism:
• Capable of being true/false.
• Made true by particular subjective feelings.
• True relative to personal feelings.
Cultural Relativism
A form of Relativism
Basic idea: our moral judgments are indeed
true or false, but they’re only true or false
relative to the culture of the person who makes
them. “X is bad” = “X is disapproved of in
my culture.”
“Polygamy is morally dubious.”
Cultural Relativism:
• Capable of being true/false.
• Made true by marriage customs in particular cultures.
• True relative to cultures.
Emotivism
Basic idea: moral judgments are neither
objectively true/false nor relatively true/false.
They’re direct expressions of our emotive
reactions.
“Okra is gross.”
Emotivism:
• Not capable of being true/false.
• Direct expression of emotive reaction.
“Polygamy is morally dubious.”
Emotivism:
• Not capable of being true/false.
• Direct expression of emotive reaction.
Three Questions about Moral Judgments
A. Are they the sorts of judgments that can be true or false
– or are they mere opinion?
B. If they can be true/false, what makes them true/false?
C. If they are true, are they objectively true?
Three Approaches to these Questions
Objectivism
Basic idea: our moral judgments are the sorts
of things that can be true or false, and what
makes them true or false are facts that are
generally independent of who we are or what
cultural groups we belong to – they are
objective moral facts.
Three Approaches to these Questions
Objectivism
Relativism
Basic idea: our moral judgments are indeed
true or false, but they’re only true or false
relative to something that can vary between
people.
Three Approaches to these Questions
Objectivism
Relativism
Emotivism
Basic idea: moral judgments are neither
objectively true/false nor relatively true/false.
They’re direct expressions of our emotive
reactions
Morality: Objective, Relative or Emotive?
Three Approaches to the Status of Morality:
Objectivism
Compare: empirical judgments about the world.
Relativism
Compare: judgments about what’s legal.
Emotivism
Compare: Boo for that! Hooray for this!
Objectivism
Basic idea: our moral judgments are the sorts
of things that can be true or false, and what
makes them true or false are facts that are
generally independent of who we are or what
cultural groups we belong to – they are
objective moral facts.
Challenge:
Important difference between
•
•
how we determine whether something’s morally right/wrong
how we determine whether an empirical claim is true/false.
Can Objectivists explain this intuitive difference?
Relativism
Basic idea: our moral judgments are indeed
true or false, but they’re only true or false
relative to something that can vary between
people.
Challenge:
It seems like there’s such a thing as moral progress.
Can Relativists explain this possibility?
Emotivism
Basic idea: moral judgments are neither
objectively true/false nor relatively true/false.
They’re direct expressions of our emotive
reactions.
Challenge:
It seems like we can use reason to arrive at our moral judgments like we
use reason to arrive at our empirical judgments.
But how can Emotivists explain this intuitive similarity?
Three Approaches to the Status of Morality:
Objectivism
Challenge: explain difference in method of
determining what the facts are.
Relativism
Challenge: explain possibility of moral progress.
Emotivism
Challenge: explain possibility of using reason to
answer moral questions.