Absolute and Relative morality

Question 1

What’s some key features of Absolutism

Answer 1

Rules that are true all the time, in all places and situations

Actions are either right or wrong

Deontological

Question 2

What are some ancient Greek ideas of absolutism

Answer 2

Socrates argues that all humans understand what is morally good or bad

Plato argues that, there are moral truths which are in the world of the forms

Question 3

What are some examples of absolutism

Answer 3

Natural law - everything is created for a purpose which we can discover using reason

Kantian Ethics - Treat people as you want to be treated, never treat people as a means to an end

Question 4

Strengths of absolutism

Answer 4

Clear and simple to apply, a crime is a crime regardless of circumstances

Moral laws are innate to our human nature

Question 5

Weaknesses of absolutism

Answer 5

Intolerant of cultural diversity

Does not take into account the circumstances of each situation

How do we know what morality actually is

Question 6

What are some key features of relativism

Answer 6

There are no ‘rights’ or ‘wrongs’

nothing is universal

things we call good and bad are completely dependent on culture and circumstances

Question 7

What is cultural relativism

Answer 7

Different cultures and societies have differing ethical systems, meaning that morality is relative

Diversity thesis - Because of the diversity there cannot be one true morality

Dependency thesis - what is right or wrong depends on the nature of the society for the relativist

Question 8

What is the origins of relativism

Answer 8

Discovery of different cultures and moral ideas lead to ancient Greeks to question absolutism

Sophists: ‘truth’ and ‘morality’ are matters of opinion

Question 9

Examples of relativist theories

Answer 9

Utilitarianism - an action is right if it maximises happiness and minimises pain for the majority of people

Situation ethics - an action is right if it promotes love

Question 10

What are some strengths of relativism

Answer 10

Non judgmental and tolerant towards other people

Embrace social change and development

Do not rely on outdated religious scripts

Question 11

What are some weaknesses of relativism

Answer 11

Allows too much, it might make torture acceptable

Reduces morality to what is socially acceptable