Absolutism & Relativism

Question 1

Gerald Edelman

Answer 1

‘Through an extraordinary instance of the Darwinian principle of adaptation, our brains have become matched to the world’

Question 2

Marian Diamond (leading neurobiologist)

Answer 2

‘There is absolutely no doubt that culture changes brains’

Question 3

Hamlet

Answer 3

‘There is nothing either good or bad, but thinking makes it so’

Question 4

James Rachel’s - Moral Objectivism

Answer 4

‘Because the moral law is the law of reason, rational beings are the embodiment of the moral law itself’

Question 5

Louis pojman’s thesis

Answer 5

1) diversity thesis (descriptive moral relativism)

2) dependency thesis (meta-ethical moral relativism)

Question 6

Stoic maxim (absolutism)

Answer 6

‘Let justice be done though the heavens fall’

Question 7

Weaknesses of moral absolutism?

Answer 7

1. Uncompromising and inflexible (human moral failings)
2. It can lead to the psychology of legalism (adhering to the letter but not spirit of the law as Jesus condemns in Sermon on the mount)
3. there are complex and varied dilemmas so it’s impossible to apply

Question 8

Weaknesses of moral relativism?

Answer 8

1. Conclusion (relativism) doesn’t follow factual premise (plurality of beliefs)
2. Moral ‘progress’ made redundant and reforming is impossible
3. Law of non-contradiction (2 mutually exclusive truths can’t both be right)
4. There are shared stable values (clyde kluckhorn & e.o Wilson say that stuff like murder and incest are perceived by almost all cultures that have been observed so far as wrong) Colin turnbull IK Tribe in Uganda DESCENDING INTO CHAOSSSS!
5. Relativism has the absolute that there are no absolutes
6. Absolute neutrality is impossible

Question 9

Thomas Nagel on Relativism

Answer 9

Relevatism is the ‘view from nowhere’ when we all live somewhere

Question 10

Pope Benedict on Relevatism

Answer 10

‘We are in danger of falling into a tyranny of relativism’

Question 11

Moral realism?

Answer 11

The view that moral facts exist

Question 12

Moral absolutism

Answer 12

The view that there are absolute moral standards

Question 13

Mora relativism

Answer 13

The view that more than one moral position on a given topic can be correct

Question 14

Cultural relativism

Answer 14

Descriptive - people’s moral beliefs differ

meta-ethical / normative - moral facts differ from culture to culture, not just beliefs

Question 15

John Ladd on Cultural Relatavism

Answer 15

‘There are no absolute universal moral standings binding on all men at all times’

Question 16

Ruth Benedict

Answer 16

‘Values are merely culturally approved habits’

Question 17

William Temple

Answer 17

‘In it’s nature, the moral judgment is wholly independent of religion’

Question 18

J.L Mackie

Answer 18

‘There is no objective truth’

Question 19

Graded absolutism

Answer 19

• hierarchy of virtue
• Charles Hodge
• similar to DDE
• avoids relativism

Question 20

DDE

Answer 20

Doctrine of double effect

• algorithm so that absolutism solves murderer knocking on door scenario:
• you can do a good act even if bad consequences result
• you can’t do a bad act to being about good consequences

Question 21

Absolutism example forms?

Answer 21

• Plato and the Form of the Good
• Natural Law ethics
• Divine command theory
• Kane’s categorical imperativism

Question 22

Relativism is superior to absolutism bc of

Answer 22

• incoherence of DCT (euthyphro)
• the problem of free will and absolutes
• cultural relativism
• meta-ethical relativism
• virtue theory

Question 23

Herodotus on Relativism

Answer 23

‘Custom is the king o’er all’