Date: 1-12-2020

RELATIVISM

Ethical Relativism is the theory that holds that morality is relative to the

norms of one's individual or culture. That is, whether an action is right or
wrong depends on the moral norms of the society in which it is practiced. The
same action may be morally right in one society but be morally wrong in
another. Some types of relativism include:
Subjective Relativism declares that each person is his own authority on
the moral life, and source of his own moral principles.
The view that an action is morally right if one approves of it
moral rightness and wrongness are relative not to cultures but to individuals.
An action then can be right for you but wrong for someone else.
Cultural Relativism is the idea that a person's beliefs, values, and practices
should be understood based on that person's own culture, rather than be
judged against the criteria of another. Moral rightness and wrongness are
therefore relative to cultures. In one culture, an action may be morally right
and, in another culture, it may be morally wrong.
Divine Command Theory is the view that morality is somehow dependent
upon God, and that moral obligation consists in obedience to
God's commands. The theory asserts that what is moral is determined by
God's commands and that for a person to be moral he is to follow God's
commands.
Comparison between Subjective and Cultural Relativism
Subjective Relativism Cultural Relativism

1. In subjective relativism, moral 1. In cultural relativism, moral

rightness and wrongness are rightness and wrongness are
relative not to cultures but to relative to cultures.
individuals.
2. Subjective relativism is a claim 2. Cultural relativism is a claim
that knowledge is merely that knowledge, truth and
subjective and that there is no morality exist in relation to
external or objective truth. culture or society and there
are no universal truths.
3. The way we perceive morality 3. The way we perceive morality
depends on your own mental is shaped by culture and
judgement. society.
4. Morality is subjective and 4. Morality exists in relation to
personal. culture, traditions and society.
5. Individualistic subjective 5.  Cultural moral relativism
moral relativism, varies from varies from society/culture to
person to person. society/culture or traditions
6. For example, Joe thinks that 6.  For example, Abortion is
cheating on exams is morally illegal in Ireland. More than
acceptable when one needs a that, the belief that abortion is
good grade, while Mary does a horrible moral crime is
not think that cheating is ever widespread. But in Japan, not
morally acceptable. The only is abortion legal, it is very
subjectivist makes a stronger frequently taken to be morally
claim, namely, that cheating is neutral. In Ireland, people
wrong for Mary, but is not believe that it's wrong, and in
wrong for Joe. Japan people believe that it's
not wrong. The stronger claim
will be that in Ireland,
abortion is morally wrong,
while in Japan it is not morally
wrong.
 Divine Command Theory

1. The Divine Command theory of ethics makes ethics depend entirely on

what God wills, on God’s voluntary choice.
2. Something is good because God wills it, not because God recognizes it to
be good.
3. God’s will or God’s command is the whole of ethics. A law or principle
is right if and only if it is willed or commanded by God.
4. Religion plays a key role.
5. Duties are derived from supernatural authority.
6. The individual gain is always other worldly.
7. Deals with matters being commanded or forbidden by God.
8. Too mysterious.
9. Cannot say how it works.
10. Whether God commands the right or right is commanded by God.
11. We face different problems that those of our ancestors who invented
these religions.
12. Religion authorize certain wrong things i.e. slavery, subordination of
women etc.
13. For example, in Muslim countries, adultery is an unethical, illegal,
punishable.
14. Killing someone or stealing is wrong because God says it is wrong.
 Case for Subjective and Cultural Relativism

Case for Subjective Case for Culture

1. The well-meaning and intelligent 1. The well-meaning and

people disagree on moral issues. intelligent society disagree on
moral issues.
2. The individual ethical debates 2. The cultural ethical debates are
are disagreeable and pointless. disagreeable and pointless
3. Different people contexts 3. Different social contexts demand
demand different moral different moral guidelines.
guidelines.
4. It is arrogant for one individual 4. It is arrogant for one society to
to judge another. judge another.
5. It promotes greater diversity and 5. It promotes greater diversity
understanding of ethical and understanding of ethical
differences of people and reduces differences of culture and
the likelihood of an imperialist reduces the likelihood of an
imposition of values. imperialist imposition of values.
6. For example, some people 6. For example, wearing of the
believe that a wife who earns burqa in Islamic countries differ
more than the husband proves from Western ideas about
that the husband is not doing ferminity.
enough to support the family
and relies heavily on the wife,
and will result in marriage
issues.
 Case for Divine Command Theory

1. We owe obedience to our creator.

2. Metaphysical and objective. God is the origin and regulator of morality.
3. God is all-good and all-knowing.
4. God knows us best. God is objective, as well as our creator. 
5. God is the ultimate authority.
6. For example, the ten commandments of bible which are the set of
biblical principles relating to ethics and worship.
7.  For example, the Quran describes God as 'holy', meaning separate
from sin. Therefore, what he commands must be good.

Case against Subjective and Cultural Relativism

Case against Subjective Case against Culture

1. The line between doing what 1. The line between doing what
you think is right and doing one society thinks is right and
what you want to do is not doing what they want to do is
sharply drawn. not sharply drawn.
2. It makes no moral distinction 2. It makes no moral distinction
between the actions of between the actions of
different people. different cultures.
3. Subjective relativism and 3. Cultural relativism and
tolerance are two different tolerance are two different
things. things.
4. It allows people to make 4. It allows societies to make
decisions based on something decisions based on something
other than reason. other than reason.
5. It does not explain how an 5. It does not explain how an
individual determines the individual determines the
 moral guidelines of a moral guidelines of a
particular person. particular society.
6. It does not explain how to 6. It does not explain how to
determine right from wrong determine right from wrong
when there are no personal when there are no cultural
norms. norms.
7. Persons do, in fact, share 7. Societies do, in fact, share
certain core values. certain core values.
8. For example, a person refutes 8. Though helpful as
itself.  If whatever each an explanation of other
individual believes is correct cultures, it does
about morality is right, then if not justify them. This view may
one person thinks there is help us to understand why
an objective truth about ethics cultures have accepted
(e.g., God sets the standard), cannibalism, slavery, sexism,
then he or she is right (and racism, genital mutilation,
everyone else would have to be having no human rights, etc.,
wrong). But then the Individual but it does not give a good
Relativist is wrong. argument as to why these
actions are ever moral.
9.  There can be no argument 9. There can be no argument
about what is right and wrong, about what is right and wrong
no matter how sure you are between cultures, no matter
that someone does (or has done how sure your culture is that
something) wrong. For some other culture has done
example, Hitler is right, Stalin something wrong. For example,
is right, and every action any Hitler’s Germany is right,
one has ever done, as long as Afghanistan’s policy of not
the person thought it was educating females, ISIS, and so
ethically right, is right. on, are right. Every action any
culture has ever done (as long
as the culture thought it was
right), is right.
10. For example, as a teacher, I 10.Doesn't allow progress, no
 can fail you if you get all A's on requirement to better society.
the coursework, and you would For example, length of time
have to admit that I was taken to denounce slavery, but
correct, fair, etc. to do so, if progress has been made.
Individual Relativism is the
correct ethical theory.

Case against Divine Command Theory

1. If any action is morally right only because God says so, then any action
at all could be morally right.
2. If any action at all could be morally right, there could be no reasons for
God’s willing one way or the other.
3. If God has no reasons for his commands, no standards other than his
say-so, his commands are arbitrary and an implausible implication.
4. There are many holy books and some of their teachings disagree with
each other.
5. It is unrealistic to assume a multicultural society will adopt a religion-
based morality.
6. There are some moral problems that are not addressed directly in
scripture.
7. It is fallacious to equate “the good” with “God”.
8. It is based on obedience, no reason.
9. DCT give outcomes that are against our intuition. For example, if God
commanded murder and rape, would these have been good?
10. Believers may disagree on what God’s command is. For example,
Churches differ over issues such as homosexuality and abortion.
11. Arbitrariness i.e. if God can change laws whenever he wants then
morality isn't standard and based on a whim.
12. Dependent on whether God exists. For example, you can't expect an
Atheist to accept the teachings of a being they don't even accept as real.
13. Absolute and deontological. For example, difficult to accept
Christianity as so rigid due to Biblical teachings such as Jesus healing
the man on the Sabbath, where a law is broken.
Comparison between Subjective, Cultural & Divine Theory
Subjective Relativism Cultural Relativism Divine Command

1. In subjective 1. In cultural 1. In divine

relativism, moral relativism, moral command, moral
rightness and rightness and rightness and
wrongness are wrongness are wrongness are
relative not to relative to cultures. relative to God.
cultures but to
individuals.
2. Subjective relativism 2. Cultural relativism 2. Divine theory is
is a claim that is a claim that a claim that
knowledge is merely knowledge, truth God’s will or
subjective and that and morality exist God’s command
there is no external or in relation to is the whole of
objective truth. culture or society ethics. A law or
and there are no
principle is right
universal truths.
if and only if it is
willed or
commanded by
God.
3. The way we perceive 3. The way we 3. The way we
morality depends on perceive morality perceive
your own mental is shaped by morality
judgement. culture and depends upon
society. God’s will or
God’s command.
4. Morality is subjective 4. Morality exists in 4. Moral duties are
and personal. relation to culture, derived from
traditions and supernatural
society. authority.
5. Individualistic 5.  Cultural moral 5. Divine command
subjective moral relativism varies theory doesn’t
relativism, varies from vary because
 from person to society/culture to God is the origin
person. society/culture or and regulator of
traditions morality.
6. For example, Joe 6.  For example, 6. For example,
thinks that cheating Abortion is illegal wine is not used
on exams is morally in Ireland. More in Islam and
acceptable when one than that, the other religion’s
needs a good grade, belief that abortion people use wine.
while Mary does not is a horrible moral
think that cheating is crime is
ever morally widespread. But in
acceptable. The Japan, not only is
subjectivist makes a abortion legal, it is
stronger claim, very frequently
namely, that cheating taken to be
is wrong for Mary, morally neutral. In
but is not wrong for Ireland, people
Joe. believe that it's
wrong, and in
Japan people
believe that it's not
wrong. The
stronger claim will
be that in Ireland,
abortion is morally
wrong, while in
Japan it is not
morally wrong.