Transcript document

Absolute and Relative
Morality
Year 12
Aims
• By the end of this lesson you will know
the difference between absolute and
relative morality
• You will be able to recognise key
scholars for each viewpoint, and match
them to their beliefs
So what is a relativist?
• A relativist approach says, in effect, that no
two situations are exactly the same. A
person’s choices will be related to a quite
unique set of circumstances, and it makes no
sense to generalise or to say that one view is
right and another wrong.
• There are no fixed objective moral reality –
or if there is, it can’t be discovered
• Decisions are not related to anything
absolute, and it therefore makes no sense to
try and discover any moral rules.
..and an Absolutist?
• An ethical absolute is a moral command or
prohibition that is true for all time, in all
places and in all situations. Absolutists hold
that some things are wrong from objective
point of view, not just from your or my
perspective.
• Immoral acts are intrinsically wrong, ie wrong
in themselves. The situation or result they
cause are irrelevant, an act is wrong if it
breaks a moral rule.
I am totally faithful
to my boyfriend,
whether he’s there or
not – it wouldn’t be
right otherwise....
When I’m out with the
girls I have fun; what my
boyfriend doesn’t know
won’t hurt him....
Task
• Look at the following scholars – all have
either absolute or relativist views.
• You need to match together the photo,
name and quote on your worksheets,
then identify whether they are absolute
or relative from their statements.
• Enjoy cutting and sticking!
Aristotle
There are no universal forms
beyond this world – forms are
in the world and therefore
not absolute. Moral behaviour
should be a midway approach
between two extremes; human
circumstances are infinite and
it is not possible to have a
general rule which will cover
every situation. Moral rules
hold for the most part but
there are times when they
won’t. Aristotle
Protagoras
There is no truth in anything
beyond the way it seems. There is
no objective knowledge, because all
knowledge depends upon the
perceptions of the person. There’s
no objective truth. Truth is only
true for you, or true for me. Man is
the measure of all things.
Protagoras
Jeremy Bentham
“The principle of utility aims
to promote happiness which
is the supreme ethical value.
Nature has placed us under
the governance of two
sovereign masters, pain and
pleasure. An act is right if it
delivers more pleasure than
pain, and wrong if it brings
about more pain than
pleasure.” Bentham
St Thomas Aquinas
We were all made by God with a
shared human purpose; this leads
to a set of rules that people have
a duty to follow. These rules are
absolutist, because they know of
no exception. For example, using
contraception to prevent
conception is absolutely wrong,
regardless of consequences such
as the spread of AIDS, unwanted
pregnancies etc. Aquinas
Plato
Moral absolutes such
as goodness and
justice really exist,
beyond our normal
perceptions of the
world. This other
world is inhabited by
forms or ideas, which
are the true reality.
What we perceive
around us is a shadow
of this truth. Plato
Joseph Fletcher
Each individual situation is
different and absolute rules are
too demanding and restrictive.
The Bible shows what good moral
decisions look like in particular
situations, but it is not possible to
know what God’s will is in every
situation; therefore love or agape
is the only moral rule. Fletcher
Kant
The consequences of our
actions are irrelevant to
whether they are right or
wrong - evil actions may have
unintended good
consequences, and someone
might act heroically without
any guarantee that the
consequences will be good. No
character quality is absolutely
good (good without exception)
- for example, it is possible to
act kindly but do the wrong
thing. The only good thing is a
good will that does what is
logically the right thing to do.
Kant
J S Mill
“The Greatest Happiness principle
holds that actions are right in
proportion as they tend to produce
happiness, wrong as they tend to
produce the reverse of happiness.
By happiness is intended pleasure,
and the absence of pain; by
unhappiness, pain and the privation
of pleasure. Quality should be
considered as well as quantity. Mill
Pope Benedict XVI
Scripture is important but doesn’t
give guidance on many important
matters so tradition is also
important, as interpreted by the
magisterium. Following Aquinas,
reason is used as a tool for showing
that certain acts are intrinsically
right or wrong as they go against our
true purpose; certain absolutes, such
as the sanctity of life, cannot be
changed by the circumstances. Pope