What is Ethical Relativism?

Summary

Ethical relativism posits that moral values are subjective and vary among individuals or societies. It encompasses personal and cultural forms, where personal relativism emphasizes individual perspectives, and cultural relativism asserts that moral judgments are contingent on societal norms. The script discusses examples like the Inuit's practice of abandoning the elderly and the Indian tradition of sati, illustrating how actions deemed moral in one culture may be seen as immoral in another. It also outlines reasons supporting relativism, such as moral diversity, uncertainty, and situational differences, challenging the notion of universal right and wrong.

Takeaways

• 📚 Ethical relativism is the perspective that moral values and beliefs are relative to individuals or societies, with no objective right or wrong.
• 🔍 There are two forms of ethical relativism: personal or individual, and social or cultural.
• 🧑 Personal ethical relativism argues that moral judgments are based on individual perspectives, with no universal standard of right and wrong.
• 🌐 Social or cultural ethical relativism posits that moral values differ among societies, and moral judgments should be based on societal norms.
• 🏔️ An example of individual ethical relativism is the Inuit practice of abandoning the elderly in extreme situations, which is seen as morally dependent on individual beliefs.
• 🔥 An example of social ethical relativism is the ancient Indian practice of Sati, where the morality of the act is judged within the cultural context.
• 🤔 Ethical relativism suggests that moral judgments can vary greatly due to differences in personal beliefs and societal norms.
• 🌈 Ethical relativists may argue that the diversity of moral values indicates the absence of objective moral truth.
• 😕 Moral uncertainty, where it's difficult to know what is morally right, supports the ethical relativist's stance against objective right or wrong.
• 🌍 Situational differences across different people's lives imply that what is right for one may not be right for another, reinforcing the relativity of moral judgments.
• 📝 The script concludes with the assertion that ethical relativism offers a framework for understanding the variability and subjectivity of moral judgments.

Q & A

What is the core concept of ethical relativism?

Ethical relativism is the view that ethical or moral values and beliefs are relative to individuals or societies, and there is no objective right or wrong.

How does personal or individual ethical relativism differ from social or cultural ethical relativism?

Personal ethical relativism holds that ethical judgments are expressions of individual moral outlooks, while social or cultural ethical relativism asserts that ethical values vary from society to society and are based on those social or cultural views.

What is the example given in the script to illustrate individual ethical relativism?

The example of 'sin by the side' or 'Gionta side', where the Inuit people of North America might leave their elderly on ice to die during famines, is used to illustrate individual ethical relativism.

How does the script explain the concept of 'sati' in the context of social or cultural ethical relativism?

The practice of 'sati', where a wife was burned alive on her husband's funeral pyre in ancient India, is used to illustrate social or cultural ethical relativism, showing that what is considered right in one culture may not be in another.

What are the three reasons supporting ethical relativism mentioned in the script?

The three reasons are the diversity of moral values, moral uncertainty, and situational differences, which suggest that objective moral truth is inconceivable due to these factors.

How does the script address the issue of moral disagreements in the context of ethical relativism?

The script suggests that the presence of disagreements on many ethical issues supports the idea that objective truth in morality is unattainable, thus supporting ethical relativism.

What is moral uncertainty, and how does it relate to ethical relativism?

Moral uncertainty refers to the difficulty in knowing what is morally right, which ethical relativists argue makes the attainment of objective right or wrong impossible.

How does situational differences support the argument for ethical relativism?

Situational differences imply that what is right or wrong can vary greatly depending on the circumstances and life of different people, suggesting that there cannot be a universal standard of right and wrong.

What is the script's stance on the right of outsiders to judge the moral practices of another culture?

The script suggests that, according to ethical relativism, outsiders, especially those from different cultures, do not have the right to judge the moral practices of another culture as right or wrong.

How can the script's discussion on ethical relativism impact one's understanding of moral judgments?

The script challenges the notion of universal moral standards, encouraging individuals to consider that moral judgments are subjective and dependent on cultural or individual perspectives.

Outlines

00:00

🌐 Ethical Relativism: The Concept and Its Forms

Ethical relativism is the philosophical stance that moral values are dependent on the individual or culture holding them, negating the existence of universal moral truths. It is divided into personal and social/cultural forms. Personal ethical relativism emphasizes individual perspectives, suggesting that no one can claim an objective moral high ground. The social/cultural form posits that moral judgments are based on societal norms, varying from one culture to another. Examples like the Inuit practice of abandoning the elderly during famines and the Indian practice of sati illustrate how moral judgments are culturally relative. Ethical relativism is supported by the diversity of moral values, moral uncertainty, and situational differences, arguing that what is right can vary greatly between individuals and societies.

05:00

🤔 Reasons Supporting Ethical Relativism

This paragraph delves into the rationale behind ethical relativism, highlighting three main arguments. Firstly, the diversity of moral values across different cultures and individuals suggests that objective moral truths are unattainable. Secondly, moral uncertainty, or the difficulty in determining what is morally right, further supports the idea that objective right and wrong cannot be established. Lastly, situational differences imply that what is morally acceptable in one context may not be in another, reinforcing the notion that moral judgments are relative to the circumstances and the individuals involved. The paragraph concludes with an invitation to subscribe for more discussions on such topics, emphasizing the complexity and subjectivity inherent in ethical debates.

Keywords

💡Ethical Relativism

Ethical Relativism is the philosophical view that moral values and judgments are dependent on the individual or culture in question, rather than being universally applicable. In the video, this concept is central to the discussion, as it is used to explore the idea that there is no objective right or wrong, and that moral judgments are relative to the individual or society holding them.

💡Moral Values

Moral values are principles or standards that guide behavior and are considered right or desirable in a culture or society. The script discusses how these values are relative and can vary significantly among different individuals or societies, challenging the notion of a universal moral code.

💡Objective Right and Wrong

The concept of objective right and wrong refers to a standard of morality that is independent of personal feelings or opinions and is universally applicable. The video script argues against this by suggesting that ethical relativists believe there is no such standard, as morality is subjective and varies from person to person or culture to culture.

💡Personal or Individual Ethical Relativism

This form of ethical relativism posits that ethical judgments are personal and that each individual has their own moral outlook. The script uses the example of 'sin-e-sid' or 'Gionta-side' among the Inuit people to illustrate how an action considered immoral by outsiders might be morally acceptable within the context of an individual's or a culture's beliefs.

💡Social or Cultural Ethical Relativism

This concept holds that ethical values and beliefs are determined by the norms of a particular society or culture. The script contrasts this with personal ethical relativism by pointing out that moral judgments are based on societal or cultural views, as exemplified by the practice of 'sati' in ancient India, which was considered heroic within its cultural context.

💡Moral Judgment

Moral judgment refers to the assessment of an action or character as good or bad based on a set of moral standards. The video script discusses how moral judgments are subjective in the context of ethical relativism, as they are based on individual or cultural perspectives rather than an objective standard.

💡Diversity of Moral Values

The diversity of moral values is the idea that different cultures or societies may have varying moral principles and beliefs. The script uses this concept to support ethical relativism by arguing that the existence of such diversity suggests the absence of a single, objective moral truth.

💡Moral Uncertainty

Moral uncertainty is the difficulty in determining what is morally right or wrong. The video script suggests that because of this uncertainty, ethical relativists argue that it is challenging to establish an objective standard of morality, further supporting the notion of relativism.

💡Situational Differences

Situational differences refer to the idea that what is considered morally right or wrong can change depending on the circumstances. The script uses this to argue for ethical relativism, stating that the same action may be morally acceptable in one situation but not in another, indicating that morality is not absolute.

💡Transcultural

Transcultural refers to something that transcends or relates to multiple cultures. In the context of the video, the term is used to describe the perspective of social ethical relativists who believe that no culture's view is superior to another's, emphasizing the relative nature of moral judgments across cultures.

💡Sati

Sati is an ancient Indian practice where a widow would immolate herself on her husband's funeral pyre. The script uses this example to illustrate social or cultural ethical relativism, showing how an act that may be seen as immoral by some can be considered a heroic and honorable act within a specific cultural context.

Highlights

Ethical relativism is the view that moral values and beliefs are relative to individuals or societies.

There is no objective right or wrong according to ethical relativism.

Ethical relativism includes personal and social/cultural forms.

Personal ethical relativism asserts individual moral outlooks as the basis for judgments.

Individual ethical relativism implies no objective standard of right and wrong.

Cultural practices like the Inuit's abandonment of the elderly during famines are culturally relative.

Social or cultural ethical relativism suggests that moral judgment is based on societal norms.

Sati, the ancient Indian practice of widow immolation, is an example of cultural ethical relativism.

Social ethical relativists believe no society's view is superior in a transcultural context.

Three reasons support ethical relativism: diversity of moral values, moral uncertainty, and situational differences.

Disagreements on ethical issues suggest the absence of objective truth.

Moral uncertainty implies difficulty in knowing what is morally right.

Situational differences make it hard to believe in the same moral standards for all.

Ethical relativism challenges the idea of universal moral standards.

The transcript discusses the implications of ethical relativism on moral judgments across cultures.

Ethical relativism raises questions about the validity of imposing one's moral beliefs on others.

The discussion concludes with a summary of the key points of ethical relativism.

Transcripts

what is ethical relativism ethical

relativism or moral relativism is to the

view that ethical or moral values and

beliefs are relative to the various

individuals or societies that hold them

thus according to the ethical or moral

relativists there is no objective right

and wrong this means that what is right

for one person is not necessarily right

for another or what is right in some

circumstances is not necessarily right

in another there are two forms of

ethical relativism namely personal or

individual ethical relativism and social

or cultural ethical relativism on the

one hand personal or individual ethical

relativism holds that ethical judgments

and beliefs are the expressions of the

moral outlook and attitudes of

individual persons hence for the

individual ethical relativists there is

no objective standard of right and wrong

in as much as the individual person is

the basis of moral judgments the ethical

relativist may therefore say I have my

own view and you have yours neither my

view nor yours is better or more correct

let us take for example sin aside or

Gionta side that is the abandonment to

death or killing of the elderly there

was a common belief that during famines

or other extremely difficult situations

the inuit or the indigenous people of

north

America would leave their elderly on the

ice to die if this is indeed the case

the individual relativist would say that

no one especially the outsiders of this

culture has the right to say that the

inuit are wrong because the morality of

such action depends entirely on the

individual inuit beliefs

hence in individual ethical relativism

any person has no right to say that

others are correct or incorrect since to

do so would assume an objective standard

of right and wrong as we can see this

example is considered an individual or

personal ethical relativism because it

is the individual that is the basis of

moral judgment on the other hand social

or cultural ethical relativism holds

that ethical values and beliefs vary

from society to society and that the

basis of moral judgment lies in these

social or cultural views

thus in determining the rightness or

wrongness of human actions

one must based it on the norms of a

particular society let us take for

example the ancient Indian practice of

satay as is well known the ancient

Indians had the practice of burning the

wife alive in the funeral pyre of her

deceased husband whatever the reasons

behind this practice the act was seen as

heroic in fact records show that some

wives willingly allowed themselves to be

burned alive on their husband's funeral

pyre indeed if an outsider is to judge

this act she may view this as immoral

especially if she is a Christian but for

the social ethical relativist that might

be the right thing to do in that

particular culture this is because for

the social ethical relativists

no society's view is better than any

other in a transcultural sense

hence no society has the right to say

that particular culture of a certain

society is wrong from what we have

presented we can draw three possible

reasons that support ethical relativism

first is on the diversity of moral

values the ethical relativists may have

argue that the presence of disagreements

on many ethical issues or even on basic

moral values or principles will prove

the point that we cannot attain

objective truth hence the idea of

objective right and wrong is

inconceivable for ethical relativists

second isn't moral uncertainty because

of moral uncertainty the ethical

relativists would ever do that because

there is great difficulty in knowing

what is the morally right thing to do or

believe then again we cannot attain

objective right or wrong third and last

is on situational differences for the

ethical relativists the situations and

life of different people varies so much

that it is difficult to believe that

same things that would be right for one

would be right for another hence what is

right or wrong for one may not be

necessarily right or wrong for another

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