moral relativism

Question 1

diversity thesis

Answer 1

idea that moral codes vary depending on the society e.g. eskimo infanticide considered immoral by Anglo-Saxons

Question 2

dependency thesis

Answer 2

the thesis that moral codes are arbitrary and simply describe the customs of the society
Freuerbach - “projection”

Question 3

Rachels diversity thesis crit code vs value

Answer 3

there are many other factors in a moral code than moral values e.g. religion factual belief physical circumstances e.g.

Question 4

Rachels diversity thesis crit values that are universal

Answer 4

“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

Question 5

dependency thesis crit rightness

Answer 5

just because there are multiple answers doesn’t mean there is no right and wrong, just means that at least some are wrong

Question 6

dependency thesis crit moral progress

Answer 6

if there are no moral facts we cannot attempt to act more morally

Question 7

Boghossian

Answer 7

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

Question 8

Mackie moral nihilism argument from relativity

Answer 8

the existence of multiple absolute moral codes suggests moral facts do not exist
*however doesn’t prove that they dont

Question 9

Mackie moral nihilism metaphysical argument from queerness

Answer 9

moral facts existing in the world would be really really odd, implausibly so
*bite the bullet

Question 10

Mackie moral nihilism epistemological argument from queerness

Answer 10

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

Question 11

verification principle

Answer 11

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

Question 12

emotivism

Answer 12

cognitivism- moral statements contain no factual material

instead expressions of feeling towards diff situations/actions

Question 13

moral relativism strength

Answer 13

no ethnocentralism or moral imperialism

*however no culture can be wrong e.g. Nazi Germany

Question 14

moral absolutism

Answer 14

gives authority to condemn cultures/ practices e.g. Naz Germany
*however can lead to ethnocentralism/moral imperialism - wrong in itself?

Question 15

Euthyphro dilemma

Answer 15

x is good because God command x or God commands x because it is good

Question 16

Mackie error theory / moral nihilism

Answer 16

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”

Question 17

non-cognitivism

Answer 17

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

Question 18

utilitarianism

Answer 18

the doctrine that actions are right if they are useful or for the benefit of a majority
Benthan John Stuart Mill

Question 19

Kantian morality

Answer 19

to do something out of good will i.e. out of duty rather than self-interest

Question 20

ethical conventialism

Answer 20

what is right is the convention of the culture

*Boghossian

Question 21

factors in rise of ethical relativism

Answer 21

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

Question 22

moral absolutism

Answer 22

existence of absolute standards regardless of context against which moral questions can be judged

Question 23

moral relativism

Answer 23

moral propositions do not reflect objective and/or universal truths

Question 24

moral realism

Answer 24

moral facts are out there in the world

Question 25

moral anti-realism

Answer 25

moral facts don’t exist

Question 26

foremost and first formulation of the categorical imperative

Answer 26

“Act only on that maxim through which you can at the same time will that it become a universal law”

Question 27

kant 2 tests

Answer 27

1 contradiction in conception

Question 28

kant 2 tests

Answer 28

1 contradiction in conception

2 contradiction in will- whether we can rationally (sensibly) will that a maxim be univeralised

Question 29

kant criticisms

Answer 29

some maxims meet the tests but are immoral and vice versa
what if there are a clash of duties
consequentialism- tell axeman where your friend is reduction ad absurdum

Question 30

kant criticisms

Answer 30

some maxims meet the tests but are immoral and vice versa
what if there are a clash of duties
consequentialism- tell axeman where your friend is reduction ad absurdum

Question 31

types of diversity

Answer 31

indivual - subjectivism

societal - conventialism

Question 32

intuitism

Answer 32

we intuitively know rght and wrong

mental intuition as a moral process that outpouts moral judgement

Question 33

naturalism

Answer 33

are objective moral properties, but are reducible to non-ethical or natural properties such as needsa wants and desires

Question 34

emotivism criticisms

Answer 34

mischaracterises nature of moral judgements
what makes morality moral if emotional
verficationism flaw -kant needs reasons

Question 35

emotivism criticisms

Answer 35

mischaracterises nature of moral judgements
what makes morality moral if emotional
verficationism flaw -kant needs reasons

Question 36

emotivism strengths

Answer 36

acknowledges moral diversty
explains why moral disagreements are so hard to resolve
doesn’t posit moral facts or god
perhaps some moral codes are emotionally founded e.g. the golden principle