Assess the view that Absolutist Ethics are irrelevant in the Modern
World.
Absolutism maintains that there are particular types of actions that
are always wrong or always compulsory. This is independent of the
situation in which the actions are performed. It could be stated, for
example, that ‘you shall not kill’ which is a moral absolute. It is
always right to tell the truth, and it is always wrong to lie. This
ideology can be found in Kantian Ethics. While absolutism argues
that standards are always true, relativism considers the context of
situations. Hence, absolutism endorses equality, whereas relativism
advocates equity. There are no shades of grey for an absolutist who
identifies with just “black and white”. However, as a results of our
understanding, we have discovered that everything from people’s
behaviour in situations to absolute values are significantly more
complex than they appear to be. The more we question these
assumptions, the more diversity of beliefs emerges in a society- here
is where the principles of relativism appear.
[FINISHED ESSAY ON NEXT PAGES]
World.
Absolutism maintains that there are particular types of actions that
are always wrong or always compulsory. This is independent of the
situation in which the actions are performed. It could be stated, for
example, that ‘you shall not kill’ which is a moral absolute. It is
always right to tell the truth, and it is always wrong to lie. This
ideology can be found in Kantian Ethics. While absolutism argues
that standards are always true, relativism considers the context of
situations. Hence, absolutism endorses equality, whereas relativism
advocates equity. There are no shades of grey for an absolutist who
identifies with just “black and white”. However, as a results of our
understanding, we have discovered that everything from people’s
behaviour in situations to absolute values are significantly more
complex than they appear to be. The more we question these
assumptions, the more diversity of beliefs emerges in a society- here
is where the principles of relativism appear.
[FINISHED ESSAY ON NEXT PAGES]
