Transcript Moral Relativism

Objectives: SWBAT
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Identify Moral Relativism
Analyze the significance of moral relativism as an
ethical ideal
MORAL RELATIVISM
8.4 Forensics – Ethics November 10, 2014
Moral Relativism
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What does it mean for something to be relative to
something else?
 Tallness
is relative
 Being fast
 Etc.
Moral Relativism
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A property or trait is relative when we can’t say it
applies to something without “filling in the blank”
 Seven
feet high is tall FOR A PERSON
 Seven feet high is tall FOR A SKYSCRAPER
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We can’t say “it rained”
 It
rained IN BALTIMORE YESTERDAY
 It rained IN CAIRO YESTERDAY
Relativism in Ethics
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There are many morals that are said to be relative
It might be about time and place
 It
is morally right for a married couple to have sex at
night in their bed
 It is morally right for a married couple to have sex in
the middle of the afternoon on the light rail
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Many aspects of moral relativity are already
captured by focusing on the acts
Relativism in ethics
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Two specific claims
Cultural Relativism
 The
fundamental principles
governing right and wrong
depend on a crucial way on
particular culture, society,
civilization or social group
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Subjective Relativism
 Fundamental
principles…..right and wrong vary from
person to person even within the same culture, society,
or civilization
Cultural Relativism
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An argument for cultural relativism:
 Ethical
beliefs and practices differ profoundly from one
culture to another
 If ethical beliefs and practices differ profoundly….,
then the fundamental principles governing right and
wrong vary
 Therefore, the fundamental principles of right and
wrong vary from culture to culture
Cultural Relativism
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The first premise
 Historical
and anthropological evidence prove that
cultures differ over
 Cannibalism
 Polygamy
 Property
rights
 Free speech
 Gender Equality
 Appropriate dress
 Are
these “profound”?
Cultural Relativism
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The second Premise
 Does
the variation matter?
 Believing
something doesn’t make it true
 If
a culture believes the earth is Flat, it doesn’t mean that the
Earth IS flat.
 The
issue at hand is about whether what ACTUALLY is
right or wrong varies from culture to culture
Cultural Relativism
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If relativism is true, then HOW does morality
depend on culture?
STRONG CULTURAL RELATIVISM (SCR)
An act (X) performed by person (P) and time (T) is
morally right if and only if X is the act that a
majority of members of P’s culture would approve
of, endorse, or advocate that P perform at T
CW: On your own paper:
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Who are you?
As a (gender)
 As a (age-group)
 As a (profession/ student)
 As a (Ethnicity)
 As a (Race)
 As a (Nationality)
 As a (religious identification)
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Which of the above do you consider your “culture” and
why?
How can SCR vary depending on which you pick?
Cultural Relativism
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Consider the following activities:
Dog-fighting
Sex before marriage
Homosexuality
To you, which one of these activities varies most
depending on which culture you identify with?
Do any of them not change?
How is this exercise a criticism of Cultural relativism?
The Ethics of Jim Crowe
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1) Briefly summarize the events depicted in parts
one and two
2) How do white people treat their black neighbors,
generally? (support with evidence)
3) How do the black people in Wright’s account
react to the treatment?
The Ethics of Jim Crowe (2)
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Consider the formulation of cultural relativism
 An
act (X) performed by person (P) is morally right if
and only if X is the act that a majority of members of P’s
culture would approve of, endorse, or advocate that
action
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4) Under this definition – is Jim Crowe ethical?