moral relativism Flashcards
diversity thesis
idea that moral codes vary depending on the society e.g. eskimo infanticide considered immoral by Anglo-Saxons
dependency thesis
the thesis that moral codes are arbitrary and simply describe the customs of the society
Freuerbach - “projection”
Rachels diversity thesis crit code vs value
there are many other factors in a moral code than moral values e.g. religion factual belief physical circumstances e.g.
Rachels diversity thesis crit values that are universal
“there are some moral rules that all societies must have in common, because those rules are necessary for society to exist” e.g. society can’t function without rule against murder and if there weren’t would band together i.e. form smaller societies where there is
dependency thesis crit rightness
just because there are multiple answers doesn’t mean there is no right and wrong, just means that at least some are wrong
dependency thesis crit moral progress
if there are no moral facts we cannot attempt to act more morally
Boghossian
dependency thesis is a form of moral absolutism- only one absolute moral fact that “what is moral depends on the moral code of the society”
by admitting existence of one moral fact question is begged why there can’t be more
Mackie moral nihilism argument from relativity
the existence of multiple absolute moral codes suggests moral facts do not exist
*however doesn’t prove that they dont
Mackie moral nihilism metaphysical argument from queerness
moral facts existing in the world would be really really odd, implausibly so
*bite the bullet
Mackie moral nihilism epistemological argument from queerness
if moral facts did exist in the world finding them out would be really really odd, implausibly so
- bite the bullet
- rationalism- can work out moral truths through reason
verification principle
for something to be verifiable it has to be either analytic or empirically verifiable
*has no factual meaning according to its own criteria- debatable whether that’s a problem
emotivism
cognitivism- moral statements contain no factual material
instead expressions of feeling towards diff situations/actions
moral relativism strength
no ethnocentralism or moral imperialism
*however no culture can be wrong e.g. Nazi Germany
moral absolutism
gives authority to condemn cultures/ practices e.g. Naz Germany
*however can lead to ethnocentralism/moral imperialism - wrong in itself?
Euthyphro dilemma
x is good because God command x or God commands x because it is good
Mackie error theory / moral nihilism
our moral judgements make a systematic error based on our belief in moral properties in the world- confuse brute and institutional facts
moral codes simply reflect a cultural way of life
“Inventing right and wrong”
non-cognitivism
ayer
normative moral statements have no factual meaning by the verification principle
not analytic- meaning not in predicate
not empirically verifiable as moral facts don’t exist in the empirical world
therefore contains no factual material
utilitarianism
the doctrine that actions are right if they are useful or for the benefit of a majority
Benthan John Stuart Mill
Kantian morality
to do something out of good will i.e. out of duty rather than self-interest
ethical conventialism
what is right is the convention of the culture
*Boghossian
factors in rise of ethical relativism
decline in religious belief and so loss of God as the moral absolute
greater awareness of moral diversity
increased sensitivity to ethnocentralism and moral imperialism
moral absolutism
existence of absolute standards regardless of context against which moral questions can be judged
moral relativism
moral propositions do not reflect objective and/or universal truths
moral realism
moral facts are out there in the world
