Transcript Subjectivism

Subjectivism
LO: I will know what Subjectivism is
Hmk: Exam practice. Explain the view that Ethics are
relative (25). Spend about half an hour writing your
answer.
Homework check: Responses to the Dialogue article …

Any comments from the reading?
Evaluating Relativism
+ve
 Explains the existence of the different
values that people hold
 Supports and encourages diverse cultural
expressions. It is very tolerant.
 Forbids the dominance of a single culture
imposing itself on others, thereby
discouraging arrogance and cultural
superiority
 Is a flexible ethical system that can
accommodate the wide diversity of
lifestyles found in the modern world.
Evaluating Relativism
-ve
 The existence of different views doesn’t mean that
they are all equal (analogy of the athlete training)
 Some statements are true absolutely (e.g. ‘it is wrong
to torture innocent people,’) Just because cultures
vary, it does not mean to say that there is no objective
‘good.’ The Nazi culture was morally wrong, to argue
that the Nazi ethic was ‘right for them’ seems very
dangerous.
 Relativists are unable to criticize a different culture,
and therefore, unable to resolve conflict. E.g. If a
culture endorses wife-beating, then wife-beating is
morally acceptable.
 There is a paradoxical consequence of adopting
relativism. If the relative belief that differing moral
codes should all be supported was adopted
universally, relativism itself would be an absolute
moral code.
Key Question
Where does Morality come from????
Society? Individual? Somewhere else?
Subjectivism – Morality is a matter
of taste …
Protagoras held that there’s no truth
in anything beyond the way it seems.
There’s no objective knowledge
because all knowledge depends on the
perception of the person. He famously
said,
“Man is the measure of all things.”
Subjectivism
Read quote from Ted Bundy (serial
killer)
Can his view be justified? What are
the issues? Discuss.
News report

Prepare a thorough report outlining
relativism to someone who has never
heard of it before …
Answer!
Plenary - Show me the answer!
Using mini-whiteboards, pupils must show
you the answer to a series of questions

Don’t forget your homework …