Preview

PHL300: Moral Relativism Debate

Satisfactory Essays
Open Document
Open Document
371 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
PHL300: Moral Relativism Debate
PHL3000-Moral Relativism Discussion
My understanding of what Dobson had to say about moral relativism is in agreement with my source, All About God Ministries, Inc. It is stated in their article “All About Philosophy” “Moral relativism is the view that moral truths depend on the individual or group who hold them. There are no moral absolutes. Moral relativism cheapens human life. When morality is reduced to personal tastes, people exchange the question, “What is good?” for the pleasure question, “What feels good?” Rather than basing decisions on what is right, decisions are based on self-interest” ("Moral Relativism”, 2017, para. 5-6)
Mr. Dobson expressed his concern for the seriousness of societies decline for moral truth. We live in

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Satisfactory Essays

    Many people are lead to adopt Ethical Relativism because they believe that it justifies their view that one ought to be tolerant of the different behavior of people in other cultures. However, Ethical Relativism does not really justify tolerance at all. All around the world, there are different types of cultures, which have different ethical values that will be correct according to their cultures. Nevertheless, some people might argue about different cultures that have different moral codes that they can not accept; examples: polygamy and infanticide. On the other hand, Ethical Relativism proposes that we can stop the criticism and be more tolerant with other cultures. To illustrate, we could no longer say that custom of other societies…

    • 123 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Better Essays

    Moral relativism is one’s perception of what is acknowledged to be morally just or unjust depending on accepted demeanor. Certain behaviors and manners that a specific culture may consider to be acceptable, another culture may consider to be unethical. In such an instance, neither one of the cultures would be incorrect. Morals are culturally defined in that it originates from the root as to what is considered socially acceptable.…

    • 1232 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Cultural relativism, as defined by the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy. “Is the thesis that a person’s culture strongly influences her modes of perception and thought” Most cultural relativists add to this definition saying that there is no standard of morality. This means that morality is relative to the particular society that one lives in. Prominent ethicist James Rachels has written against this view in his work titled The Challenge of Cultural Relativism. This paper will be focused on evaluating Rachels’ critique of cultural relativism, and whether it was right for him to endorse objective moral realism. Rachels defines this as “a standard that might be reasonably used in thinking about any social practice whatever. We may ask whether the practice promotes or hinders the welfare of people whose lives are affected by it.” That is the moral worth of an action is based upon how it contributes to the society from which it operates in.…

    • 1686 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    Ethical relativism is a concept in which most simple minded individuals adhere to. According to definition in the chapter, ethical relativism is the normative theory that what is right is what the culture or individual says is right. Shaw argues that it is not very plausible to say that ethical relativism is determined by what a person thinks is right and wrong. He gives reason that it “collapses the distinction between thinking something is right and it’s actually being right.” Ethical relativism may be justified occasionally. William H. Shaw examines ethical relativism by providing comprehensive examples on why relativism is a weak method in gaining morals.…

    • 434 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Moral Relativism is the thought that the moral beliefs held by individuals is influenced and dependent on the culture in which they live in considers tolerable. Hence, what is considered morally appropriate in a single society perhaps is perceived as immoral in a different society. In actuality they both maybe right as they have distinct creators resulting in different laws, diversity, and possibly religious views of each other. Ruth Benedict defends the theory of moral relativism in her article A Defense of Moral Relativism from The Journal of General Psychology. In contrast, William B. Irvine author of Confronting Relativism feels in a few swift examples people can be talked out of their views on moral…

    • 116 Words
    • 1 Page
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Moral relativism did not become a prominent topic in philosophy or elsewhere until the 20th century. Moral relativism is the making of an excuse for the action done. Behaviors should not be dismissed under certain circumstances. Moral relativism is dangerous and illogical which can be seen through murders, abortion, and lying.…

    • 286 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Even though living in pain can be a physical and emotional toll on a person’s life, no one can judge or comment on it without knowing how it feels, but choosing to end your life for this cause is ethically wrong. A person should not be able to choose between life and death like it is something normal that we do every day. Dying is not the answer to a person’s problems, pains, or sufferings. Now a day technology and medicine are highly advanced and can cure or reduce the pain of a person with a disease. Choosing to end your life is basically committing suicide and suicide is wrong.…

    • 786 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    Ethical relativism is based on society and also individual’s desires. With that being said ethical relativism varies from culture to culture and person to person. Does this mean that ethical relativism is any less of a valid theory than other theories? We shall find out in the next 3 pages. Joseph Ratzinger once said “having a clear faith based on the creed of the church is often labeled today as fundamentalism. Whereas relativism, which is letting oneself, be tossed and swept along by every wind of teaching, look like the only attitude acceptable and today’s standards (www.brainyquote.com).…

    • 916 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Relativism is the idea that one's beliefs and values are understood in terms of one's society, culture, or even one's own individual values. You may disagree with someone and believe your view is superior, relative to you as an individual; more often, relativism is described in terms of the values of the community in which one lives. The view of ethical relativism regards values as determined by one's own ethical standards, often those provided by one's own culture and background. Rather than insisting that there are moral absolutes, moral claims must be interpreted in terms of how they reflect a person's viewpoint; moral claims are then said to be "right in a given culture" or "wrong for a given society." Perhaps one person lives in a culture where having a sexual relationship outside of marriage is regarded as one of the worst things a person can do; in this culture a person engaging in extramarital sex may be punished or even forced to leave. But another culture might have a considerably different…

    • 591 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    Relativism gives us a greater understanding of other cultures as it explains the discrepancies in moral codes. Herodotus, a Greek historian recounted when the King of Persia offered both the Greeks and the Callatians money if they adapted to each other’s funeral practices (the Greeks burnt the bodies of their fathers, while the Callatians ate the bodies of their fathers). However both disagreed and would not swap for any amount. What was right for one tribe was wrong for the other. What is right or wrong depends upon the nature of the society; different cultures create different values. We all live with unique cultures and so have our own idea of ‘good’.…

    • 808 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Every man in this world defends his concepts of what is morally right or what is morally wrong, otherwise known as ethics. If ethics wasn’t studied or systematized, concepts that shape our every day life would be questioned with lack of knowledge, just as if any other scholarly subject wasn’t studied such as math or English. Albert Camus once stated, “A man without ethics is a wild beast loosed upon this world.”…

    • 770 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Cultural Relativism Essay

    • 463 Words
    • 2 Pages

    This premise of cultural relativism shows prefigure of moral relativism. Moral relativism can be generally grouped into three categories; (1) descriptive moral relativism, (2) normative moral relativism, and (3) meta-ethical moral relativism. Descriptive relativism, according to Frankena, is the idea ‘that the basic ethical beliefs of different people and societies are different and even conflicting’ [1973:109]. The second form of ethical relativism conceives the idea that ‘what is really right or good in the one case is not so in another. Such a normative principle seems to violate the requirements of consistency and universalization’[1973:109]. The last among the three reveals that ‘there is no objectively valid, rational way of justifying one against another; consequently, two conflicting basic…

    • 463 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Moral Relativism

    • 1544 Words
    • 7 Pages

    Moral relativism is often equated with cultural relativism. However, anthropologists cringe at this notion, as defended by Thomas Johnson in his essay, “Cultural Relativism: Interpretations of a Concept.” Johnson argues that true cultural relativism should not “…prevent an educated person from taking a stand on a variety of moral issues…” (Johnson 794). Rather, cultural relativism is a tool for the objective study of a different culture and leads “…to a much stronger notion of moral values, values that can and should be acted upon…” (Johnson 795). This view differs from Bendedict’s moral relativism in that while cultural relativism is a tool from which moral attitudes and actions may stem, moral relativism maintains all cultures are equal, and therefore all cultures and cultural practices must be tolerated. Benedict is not alone in her biased presumptions. In his article, “In Defense of Relativism,” Frank Oppenheim asserts,…

    • 1544 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Better Essays

    Ethical Relativism

    • 1156 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Ethical relativism is an idea that our ethical values aren’t set in stone. They are determined by who we are, where we live, what century we were born in, or what part of the world we are located. Certainly, those people who live now in the year 2009 would not agree with the practices of slavery that were widely used in the 1800’s. Even more than in the past, we can we see this across the map. In Africa, slaves are still used for hard labor and paid small if any wages at all. Although, the United States knows about these practices, they do not agree with them and do not use slavery as a means of labor. In this discussion about ethical relativism, we will also discuss cultural, moral relativism. Ethical relativism is used all across the board to make decisions around the world. The good and bad must be weighed in according to the situation.…

    • 1156 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    Moral Relativism Essay

    • 713 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Ethics is a moral standard that is set by society. However, these standards change as the way of life and cultural customs are different all over the world. A person’s “culture reflects the moral values and ethical norms that govern how they should behave and interact with others (Culture and Ethics)”. These changes in the ethical standards also change the moral relativism of a situation. Moral relativism is a theory where one is judged by the totality of a situation rather than the end result. Today we will discuss how the differences in cultures will affect the way people view the totality of a situation.…

    • 713 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays