Chapter 3 - Ethical Relativism ( Prt. 1)

Question 1

It refers to the doctrine that ethical values and beliefs (as to what is right/good and wrong/bad) are relative to the time, place, persons, situations and societies that hold them.

Answer 1

Ethical Relativism

Question 2

a theory that hold that there are no universally valid moral principles; that all moral values are valid relative to culture or individual choice

Answer 2

Ethical Relativism

Question 3

For an _________, “whether an action is right or wrong depends on the moral norms of society or moral commitments of the individual, and no absolute standard exists by which differing rules or commitments can be judged.

Answer 3

ethical relativist

Question 4

T/F There are values that cut across cultural boundaries and peoples that are not relative to the specific place or context in which they are held

Answer 4

False; there are no values

Question 5

T/F Ethical relativists are neither _____ nor _______. They believe in moral right and wrong. It is just they contend that what is basically right for an individual or group may be wrong for another.

Answer 5

True
Skeptics
Nihilist

Question 6

The framework of Ethical Relativism
is where _______ is mainly

Answer 6

morality

Question 7

A theory that holds that there are no
universally valid moral principles
That all moral values are
valid relative to culture or
individual choice.

Answer 7

ETHICAL RELATIVISM

Question 8

Right or wrong depends on the ____________ of society (Camp, Olen & Barry
2015)

Answer 8

moral norms

Question 9

ARGUMENTS FOR ETHICAL
RELATIVISM

Answer 9

1. The Cultural Differences Argument
2. The Argument from Respect
3. The Psychological Argument
4. The Conformity Argument
5. The Provability Argument

Question 10

Ethical Relativism is
consistent with the facts of
cultural diversity.

Answer 10

The Cultural Differences Argument

Question 11

Noted American anthropologist __________ claims that “careful study of the cultural practices of different peoples supports the idea that what is and not behaviorally normal is culturally determined.”

Answer 11

Ruth Benedict

Question 12

Part of its [powerful drawing power] is due to the fact that such view has been though to promote tolerance

Answer 12

The Argument from Respect

Question 13

Through Ethical
Relativism, it is believed that
people would become more
accepting of moralities of others.
They have to stop this “we’re right
and they’re wrong” attitude and
rather view the other as simply
“different”

Answer 13

The Argument from Respect

Question 14

Tolerance has always been considered a _______ while taking a superior stance is usually viewed as the height of ___________

Answer 14

virtue
arrogance

Question 15

OUR VALUES are simply the result
of our having been CONDITIONED
to behave in a certain way

Answer 15

The Psychological Argument

Question 16

All of us, consciously or unconsciously, have been subjected in one way or the other to some sort of a __________ by our ___________

Answer 16

The Psychological Argument
Psychic manipulation
Significant others

Question 17

it is but
natural for people to easily affiliate
and conform to the accepted
ethical standards of the particular
the group that they belong

Answer 17

The Conformity Argument

Question 18

As social beings by nature, it is but natural for people to easily affiliate and conform to the accepted _____________ of the particular group that they belong

Answer 18

The Provability Argument
ethical standards

Question 19

it is though that people would come to be more accepting of their own societal norms. Their beliefs gives a good basis for a common morality within a culture - in fact, a kind of democratic basis where “diverse ideas and principles are pooled in, thus insuring that norms/rule that a certain society would eventually accept have a wide and solid support”

Answer 19

The Conformity Argument

Question 20

another reason that what Ethical Relativism holds is indeed true is the undeniable fact of
moral dispute occurring between
and among groups as well as
individuals

Answer 20

The Provability Argument

Question 21

CRITICAL EVALUATION OF ETHICAL
RELATIVISM

Answer 21

1. On Cultural Diversity
2. On the Argument from Respect
3. On the Psychological Argument
4. On the Argument from Conformit
5. On the Provability Argument

Question 22

Ethical Relativism is self
contradictory

Answer 22

On Cultural Diversity

Question 23

It will lead to eventual
conflict and disorder.

Answer 23

On the Argument from Respect

Question 24

the argument is
transparently fallacious

Answer 24

On the Psychological Argument

Question 25

The argument
states that the view of the majority is the only
true and legitimate voice of what is moral or
not.

Answer 25

On the Argument from Conformity

Question 26

Ethical Issues are complex and
difficult to determine

Answer 26

On the Provability Argument

Question 27

If there is such thing as _______ or __________ in ethics, we should be able to prove that some moral opinions are true and others false.

Answer 27

The provability argument
objective
Universal truth

Question 28

But in fact, we cannot prove which moral opinion are true and which are false. Therefore, there is no such thing as __________ in ethics

Answer 28

The Provability Argument
objective truth

Question 29

T/F Cultural Diversity is indeed a sociological and anthropological fact.

Answer 29

T

Question 30

Cultural Diversity in itself is neutral to making any value or moral judgment. It does not categorically say whose or what culture or cultures is/are doing and practicing what is right

Answer 30

On Cultural Diversity

Question 31

It has no objective truths, but morality is a product of a culture that can express objective truths. So too, a moral code be a product of culture yet still express objective truth.

Answer 31

Cultural Diversity

Question 32

He argues even more explicitly than Benedict that the belief in ethical relativism entails “intercultural tolerance”

Answer 32

On the Argument from Repect
Melville Herskovits

Question 33

If Morality simply is relative to each culture, then what if the culture in question does not have tolerance as part of its moral code? This would naturally mean that the members of that culture have no _________________ to practice tolerance.

Answer 33

On the Argument from Rescpect
moral obligation

Question 34

_______ systemically points out that if we had been conditioned differently, we would have different moral beliefs, thus there is no such thing as objective moral truth, does not follow, hence unsound and invalid.

Answer 34

On the Psychological Argument
Rachels

Question 35

The Psychological Argument is guilty of committing: (fallacies)

Answer 35

Genetic Fallacy
Fallacy of misinterpretation
Fallacy of oversimplification

Question 36

something comes from a dubious source, if (one’s belief) does not necessarily follow that it is false or erroneous

Answer 36

Genetic Fallacy

Question 37

deceiving us into believing that the matter of social conditioning/training is all that there is in the person’s moral or ethical development.

Answer 37

Fallacy of misinterpretation

Question 38

one of the most important and crucial of all of these other factors (not only conditioning) is the exercise of the person’s ________

Answer 38

freedom of choice/free will

Question 39

the product of our childhood conditioning but, to disregard totally the specific role that our early psychological upbringing played in the formation of our moral values and behavior, is also committing the _________________

Answer 39

fallacy of oversimplification

Question 40

one will have to prove an ethical viewpoint to another to find out how difficult and frustrating the entire activity is.

Answer 40

On the Provability Argument