wk 2 - objectivism vs relativism

Question 1

objective vs relative ethical principles

Answer 1

Objective ethical principles apply to all people around the world at all times (ex., stealing food is wrong regardless of the circumstances)

Relative ethical principles apply only within certain cultures/societies, and each culture/society can have different ethical principles (ex., stealing food is ok if they are feeding their starving family)

Question 2

the problem with ethical relativism

Answer 2

The problem with ethical relativism is that it is self-defeating
Relativism is the belief that a harmful act is ‘right’ if the perpetrator claims it is right
Ethical relativism requires that everybody is an ethical relativist, which would mean that there is at least one objective moral principle
Ethical relativism would also mean that there exists little need for ethical reasoning
You would simply follow the rules/norms of a culture/society

Question 3

humble objectivism

Answer 3

In general, philosophers tend to subscribe to humble objectivism
There exist objective ethical principles that apply to all people everywhere, but we might not know what they are
We can get closer to the truth through good reasoning and critical thinking, but we might get it wrong sometimes and have to correct it ourselves