5 days ago
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
The Allure of Relativism...
Today's class discussion presented the position called ethical relativism - the claim that moral judgments don't have objective reality or truth, but are founded on human custom and opinion, and therefore can change from one culture to another, or possibly from one person to another. Your HW for tonight: comment on this post by articulating what you find to be the best, most convincing reason EITHER to support ethical relativism OR to reject it.
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I firmly believe in ethical relativism. The only definite fact when it comes to ethics is that everyone has a different opinion. For example, look at old native american tribes. Some used to strap boards to an infant's head so that it grew a long, flat forehead. Or in ancient China, where elite women would often bind their feet so that they grew almost in points. Both of these processes are now considered unethical by most people, but in their own times they were common rituals. I would hope that everyone is not a supporter of murder, but if you were put back in time in a position to kill Hitler, wouldn't you do it? Ethics is all based on personal opinion.
ReplyDeleteI think that ethical relativism is a sound philosophy. That being said, I think that a certain majority must agree with an individuals belief for it to be morally correct. If a small minority (The Mormons) believes that polygamy and the ensuing consummation with minors is legal and morally correct but these beliefs run contrary to the government's laws then we do not approve of the ethical relativism. That defense is simply not going to hold up in court.
ReplyDeletePersonally i believe in ethical relativism because i think that everonbe has what thy think is wrong and right based on how they grew up making their own opinions. I dont think that there is a way that everyone could believe all the same things to be right or wrong, becuase they all have their own opinions.
ReplyDeleteI'm slightly strattling the fence on the this issue but ultimately, I like it. I do believe that there are some things, such as murder and rape, that are just plan wrong regardless of morals. But other than that, morals rest on opinion. Societies and families raise children to believe what they find to be right. Many "utopian" societies modify or negate the regular morals the creators were originally taught. Although I believe my morals to be right for me, that doesn't make them right for everyone. I may not agree with these morals, but that doesn't make them wrong.
ReplyDeleteAt the risk of sounding conformist I say that I also believe in ethical relativism. I think it is safe to say that everyone has slightly different morals from everyone else. What people see to be more moral, or more ethical is simply based on which viewpoint matches their's better. While some morals like "murder is wrong" are common, even in categories like these there are always some who dissagree, and in a subject as intangiable as ethics, I don't think numbers really apply.
ReplyDelete....btw Dr.P using "The Allure" in your title makes me think you're going to tell us we are all wrong tomorrow (errrr... today really).
ReplyDeleteI have to also agree with ethical relativism. People think that their morals are correct. While I might not think they actually are it is because my morals do not align with theirs. So, the amount of people believing a certain thing does not matter, their morals are still their morals whether three people believe them or thousands, the less people, and the more abstract, or offensive to my beliefs the easier to discredit.
ReplyDeleteI agree with relativism, but with some reservations. People definitley have different morals that they adhear to, but I think that there are some things that whether you believe them or not are true. certain ethics transcend belief. Maybe I'm only saying that because to certain deeply held beliefs of my own. I'm probably colored by my own morals, it's impossible to seperate yourself from them.
ReplyDeleteI most definatley agree with ethical relativism. Everyone has different morals. For example what i talked about in class today. For people in cults what they do is perfectley ethical, to them they are doing nothing unethical, but to us what they are doing is extremley unethical. Ethics and morals all depend on personal opinion.
ReplyDeleteIn my opinion, relatvism is a theory which has good reason and logic behind it. People will always believe what is right and wrong based on thier own beliefs. Although i do not personally condone religion, i think that everyone has a religion of their own. That being said, people's opinions will always vary and therefore, so will their opinion of what is right and wrong.
ReplyDeleteI agree with relativsm i dont think eveyone has the beleifs or morals they might be similar but different altogether. Things people do that are right and some wrong but this all depends on what the persons characteristics and what there opinions are in life.
ReplyDeleteHonestly, I'm pretty confused, but based on what other people are saying I think I am inclined to agree with relativism.
ReplyDelete