Chapter 5 The Problem of Relativism and Morality

1. Chapter 5The Problem of Relativism and Morality

2. QUIZ 5.1 1. Ethical relativists claim that: a. everything is relative.      b. there are no objective truths. c. there are no objective moral principles. d. everybody's view is as good as everyone else's.

3. QUIZ 5.1 2.  The emotivists said that moral judgments have no cognitive meaning whatsoever. a. True b. False

4. QUIZ 5.1 3. Emotivists believe that it’s good to be emotional. a. True b. False

5. QUIZ 5.1 4. A consequentialist ethical theory is one that judges actions in terms of their net results. a. True b. False

6. Section 5.1Don’t Question Authority Might Makes Right

7. Objective? Relative? What is the moral relativism supposed to be? Some praise it. Others denounce it as a great evil. People say things like this? Morality is relative. Morality is subjective. Morality is just a matter of taste. Morality varies with one’s point of view?

8. Objective? Relative? Two questions? What is the appeal of this talk? What do people mean by it?

9. Subjective vs. Objective Let’s say that an object o has a property P objectively (or P is an objective property of o) iff o’s having P is in no way constituted by the fact that one or more people think or feel about o in a certain way. Otherwise, P is a subjective property of o. Being 6 feet tall Being liked by the majority of human beings Weighing more than Ron Wilburn Being regarded as a saint Being beautiful (e.g., The Mona Lisa)? Being morally wrong (actions)? Being morally bad (goods or states of affairs)? Being virtuous or viscious (character traits)?

10. Absolute vs. Relative Let’s say that an object o has a property P absolute (or P is an absolute property of o) iff O has P from every point of view. Otherwise, P is a relative property of o Being 6 feet tall Being liked by the majority of human beings Being tall Being agreeable Being 6 feet tall Being beautiful (e.g., The Mona Lisa)? Being morally wrong (actions)? Being morally bad (goods or states of affairs)? Being virtuous or viscious (character traits)?

11. The Status of Moral “Facts”

12. Subjective Absolutism Subjective Absolutism? What makes an action right is that someone approves of it. • Is this view plausible? • Consistency?

13. Subjective Relativism Subjective Relativism? What makes an action right for a particular agent (you, me) is that this agent approves of it. • Is this view plausible? Does it suffer from the consistency problem that plagued Subjective Absolutism? Subjective relativism avoids the charge of inconsistency that undermined subjective absolutism because moral judgments are relative to the individual making them.

14. Consequences of Subjective Relativism • Moral disagreement? • Fallibility? • Does it give the right results?

15. The Problem so far? • Maybe the difficulty is in trying to view moral statements as expressing truths of any kind at all • Might they be seen as doing something else? • What might this be?

16. Emotivism According to emotivism, moral utterances are expressions of emotion. Because moral utterances are not statements, it avoids the inconsistency of subjective absolutism Disagreement?

17. Thought Experiment: Blanshard’s Rabbit

18. Cultural Relativism Cultural relativism: What makes an action right is that it is approved by one’s culture. Disagreement? Fallibility? Is it even workable?

19. The Anthropological Argument • People in difference societies make different moral judgments regarding the same action. • If so, they must accept different moral standards. • If they accept different moral standards, there are no universal moral standards. • Therefore, there are no universal moral standards.

20. The Anthropological Argument(Evaluated) • People in difference societies make different moral judgments regarding the same action. • If so, they must accept different moral standards. • If they accept different moral standards, there are no universal moral standards. • Therefore, there are no universal moral standards.

21. The Anthropological Argument(Evaluated) • People in difference societies make different moral judgments regarding the same action. • If so, they must accept different moral standards. • If they accept different moral standards, there are no universal moral standards. • Therefore, there are no universal moral standards.

22. The Logical Structure of Moral Judgments

23. Thought Probe:Moral Children • Research by William Damon suggests that even young children have a sophisticated sense of right and wrong that’s independent of cultural or parental authority. • Does this lend credibility to the claim that there are universal moral standards?

24. The Divine Command Theory • Divine Command Theory • What makes an action right is that God commands it to be done.

25. The Euthyphro Problem A is right iff God commands us to do A What question does this leave us with? • Is an action right because God commands it to be done or • Does God command it to be done because it’s right? Let’s look at both alternatives.

26. God and Goodness • According to the divine command theory, God could have commanded us to kill, rape, steal, and torture. • But killing, raping, stealing, and torturing are wrong. • If God is by definition good (and thus couldn’t command those things), then God can’t be used to define goodness, for the definition would be circular.

27. God and Reason • If God’s commands are not based on reasons, then they are irrational and arbitrary. • But we have no moral obligation to obey irrational and arbitrary commands. • Moreover, one who acts irrationally and arbitrarily is not worthy of worship.

28. First alternative: Is an action right because God commands it to be done Leibniz on the Divine Command Theory • “In saying that things are good simply by the will of God, one destroys without realizing it, all the love of God and all his glory; for why praise him for what he has done, if he would be equally praiseworthy in doing the contrary? Where will be his wisdom if he has only a certain despotic power?”

29. Second alternative: Does God command it to be done because it’s right? Pike on the Divine Command Theory • “It is a necessity for God to be just, loving, merciful. He cannot be unjust, cruel, merciless….As is it is impossible to make two and two be five…so it is impossible for the Deity to make crime a merit, and love and gratitude crimes.”

30. Thought Probe: Moral Knowledge • Renford Bambrough maintains: • “We know that this child, who is about to undergo what would otherwise be painful surgery, should be given an anesthetic before the operation.”

31. Are There Universal Moral Principles? • A self-evident truth is one which is such that if you understand it, you know that it’s true. • The Principle of Justice—Equals should be treated equally. • The Principle of Mercy—Unnecessary suffering is wrong.

32. Thought Probe: Moral Knowledge • Renford Bambrough maintains: “We know that this child, who is about to undergo what would otherwise be painful surgery, should be given an anesthetic before the operation.” • Do we know this? • If so, does it show that there are objective moral truths?