Ethical Relativism

Introduction to Ethical Relativism

Standard Ethical View: Rational and

Impartial

► Ethical standpoint must be based on

reasoning, which is common to all
persons.
► Ethical standpoint must be impartial: all
persons considered equally.
 Challenges to Standard View
Standard view Challenge
► Rationality ► Ethical relativism: what
is right is not based on
universal reason but
on beliefs of each
culture.
► Impartiality
► Ethical egoism: our
only obligation is to
ourselves
 Travel to an Exotic Land
You are the guest of a tribe that practices a ritual of
killing a child to kill each year in order to please the
gods and assure health and prosperity for the
coming year. It is considered a great honor to be
chosen to be killed or to do the killing.

Since you are an honored guest, you are offered the

spear to kill the child.

Would it be morally wrong for you to participate?

 Are There Any Universal Truths That
Apply to All Persons at All Times?

Ethical Absolutism: Ethical Relativism:

YES
►Consequentialism
►Nonconsequentialism
(Both theories are absolutist and
based on universal reasoning)
NO
What is ethically right is
dependent on (relative
to) the culture and
period of history.
 Distinguish Ethical Relativism
from Sociological Relativism

Sociological Relativism (purely

descriptive claim):
Cultures differ in their beliefs about ethics

Ethical Relativism:
What is true in ethics differs from culture
to culture.
 Can We Use Sociological Relativism to
Argue for Ethical Relativism?

► Different cultures have different moral

beliefs (S.R.)
► Hidden premise?
► Therefore, there is no universal truth in
ethics. (E.R.)
 Reduction to Absurdity
Arguments

Premise X (logically leads to)

Premise Y and we KNOW Premise Y is false;
thus premise X is false.
X. Heart disease is contagious Y. unrelated
people living with those who have heart disease
have a greater chance of getting it.
X. Utilitarianism Y. “slavery is sometimes
morally okay”
 Ethical Relativism Absurdities

► Moral comparisons among groups would be

meaningless.
► Moral judgments even within a group would
be impossible.
► Ultimately, “might makes right.”