Metaethics Flashcards
Grounding problem
what grounds or justifies moral facts or values. Specifically, it asks: What makes moral claims true or valid?
Cultural Relativism
Cultural Disagreement: Different cultures have varying moral beliefs and practices, suggesting that moral standards are not universal but shaped by cultural contexts. Since no culture has a clear, objective moral authority, each culture’s morality should be respected within its own context.
Tolerance: Cultural relativism promotes tolerance by encouraging the acceptance of cultural differences. It suggests that we should not impose one culture’s moral framework on another, advocating for respect and understanding of diverse practices and beliefs.
arguments agaisnt cultural relativism
there are objectively bad cultures, moral progress is possible, and we have moral framework implying a objective morality of some kind
Moral isolationism
Symmetry of Criticism: Moral isolationism argues that if we cannot judge or critique other cultures, we also cannot judge our own. It insists that cultural practices should be understood within their own context, preventing us from making cross-cultural moral judgments.
Symmetry of Praise and Blame: Just as we cannot criticize other cultures' practices, moral isolationism suggests that we cannot praise or blame them either. Any positive or negative judgments about another culture would be inconsistent with the view that we should avoid imposing our standards on others. Moral Reasoning: Moral isolationism challenges the possibility of objective moral reasoning between cultures. Since each culture has its own moral code, it claims we lack the grounds for universal moral reasoning that applies across cultural boundaries.
Divine command theory
moral rightness and wrongness depend on God’s will.
Euthyphro dilemma
Is something morally good because God commands it, or does God command it because it is morally good?
Criteria of right/wrong:
Morally Right: Actions that align with God’s commands.
Morally Wrong: Actions that go against God's prohibitions. Morally Neutral: Actions about which God has given no command or prohibition.
Arguments for divine command theory
Divine Creation: Since God created the universe, moral order is rooted in God’s will, making Him the source of moral values.
Solution to Grounding Problem (Robert Adams): God provides an objective foundation for morality. Without God, moral values would lack an ultimate grounding.
Critique:
Intrinsic Moral Rightness/Wrongness: The theory suggests morality depends entirely on God’s will, but critics argue that the moral rightness or wrongness of actions should be intrinsic to the actions themselves, not just God’s commands.
Arbitrariness: If morality is based solely on God’s commands, it could be arbitrary. Critics like Leibniz argue that this makes moral principles subject to tyranny, where God could command any action (even harmful or immoral ones), and it would be deemed morally right.
