Ethics

FD 1.3: Ethics:
Moral Absolutss s Moral Relat iss:
Moral Relat iss
Descript e Moral Relat iss (DMR):
 An empirical claim (not a philosophical positonn
 The basis for NMR
 Claim: there is wide disagreement in moral views across societes

Norsat e Moral Relat iss (NMR):
 A soral clais sight be true in 1 society but false in another
 Exasple: in the UK it’s illegal to express homophobic views in 2018 but the same cannot be said
of Saudi Arabia in 2018
The Basic Argusent FOR Moral Relat iss:
1. There’s a wide range of difering moral views in dif societes
2. ∴ there can’t be any absolutely or universally correct moral views
 BUT (2n doesn’t necessarily follow from (1n
 Breaks Huse’s Law  essentally one can’t get an ‘ought’ from an ‘is’ (2 from 1n

Probless for Moral Relat iss (Mo ing fros DMR – NMR):
No Moral Di ersity?
1. One could deny there is a great deal of moral diversity
2. One could admit there’s a great deal of surface moral diversity but that this hides underlying
moral agreement about basic values
3. For example:
a) 1 society may argue polygamy is unacceptable
b) another may argue that it is acceptable
c) BUT the underlying agreement is about the importance of marriage and family
d) So, DMR may overestmate lvls of disagreement as there may be some deeper underlying
agreement (absolutstn
4. HOWEVER, underlying moral agreement now doesn’t afectt disprove NMR bc there may be
widespread disagreement in the future
Moral Disagreesent within Cultures:
 DMR may overestmate the homogeneity (similarityn of moral beliefs in other cultures
 There CAN be moral disagreement within cultures  so can we identfy moral views with
societess
 If DMR neglects diferences within culture – then NMR becomes, ‘x is true for some individuals
but false for others’
 Example: “Christans think homosexuality is morally wrong
 Some agree with this, but many don’t ∴ what is morally righttwrong is not relatve to societes (bc
not universally held within that societyn