lecture two - relativism and hypocrisy Flashcards
why is relativism a challenge to morality
it threatens to deprive morality of its crucial edge, thus assimilating it to other social practices whose ambitions are much more modest.
what does relativism come from
the simple recognition that different societies and historical epochs judge different actions right or wrong
what is one important aspect of conception of morality
the idea that morality embodies resources for critically assessing the views of ourselves and others.
what is the main issue of moral relativism
moral relativism means to prevent us from trying to impose our morality on others, but in turn imposes a type of morality
what is the natural response to people who try to impose their moralities on others?
to say that they are immoral
what is moral relativism
the moral standards of a particular place and time don’t apply across different societies or across time
what is descriptive morality
what the actual case is
what is normative morality
what we should do in a case
what is Jamison’s claim on relativism
it has no basis for saying its bad to impose our morality on others, if that imposing behaviour is itself, part of local morality
what does local morality mean in a globalized world?
it’s not clear what counts as the local moral views
what is hypocrisy
a moral failing or vice that we exhibit when we avow, or criticize others in terms of, principles or standards that we do not fully conform to ourselves
what is atomization of moral aspirations
to focus on moral change we can bring about through individual actions
what is contraction of moral aspirations
reducing our moral standards
