Ethical Relativism

Ethical Relativism

Me: There has had a contention about ethical relativism, what is your take on this issue, Midgley?

Midgley: In ethical relativism, we get to understand the morality of an action depending on which cultural environment it is practiced on. However, this is not usually the point of contention, it is usually on the moral judgment as to whether a practice is right or wrong. The question is should we judge a certain culture based on our moral understanding of what is right or wrong?

Me: What about you Rovane what is your take on this matter?

Rovane: I will answer Midgley’s question because I also feel this is the point of contention on this issue of moral relativism. That said, moral beliefs can never be based on whether they are true or false after all there exist no such facts regarding morality. As such we are only left with determining these moral facts subjectively which varies between different cultures and among different people. So I would say that there exists no ground of judging other cultures each culture should be respected as it is.

Me: Morality is key to any society, how then can we agree to respect practices in some cultural environments such as witch burning of female genital mutilation? Are we inclined to respecting such cultural practices?

Midgley: A good question for this discussion. I would say this is where moral relativism fails terribly, for taking cultures as sealed units with their systems of thought. This is forbidding us to take a position in some cultures makes morality a societal nicety giving more reason to fit in rather than be moral.

Me: What about you Rovane do you think we are inclined to respect without criticizing such ‘backward’ practices being peddled in some societies?

Rovane: Absolutely, there is no need to harbor unacceptable repercussions of ‘culture fixing’ It would be right to point out how these practices are wrong not depending on universal standards of right and wrong but rather criticism must be based on that culture’s standards. In such a case pointing out how wrong female genital mutilation is as practiced in Africa it would be necessary to reflect on some local moral truths that hold in this cultural environment and conditions that such a practice arises.

Me: Why are you that uncomfortable with ethical relativism Midgley?

Midgley: One, because I feel that to respect a culture we need the freedom to explore, understand and use our moral judgment to determine whether it is right or wrong. When we understand a culture it will be much easier to make positive criticism regarding extraneous cultures making us moral isolationists. Secondly, if we cannot judge another culture and are deprived of our opinions about other societies then Rovane should tell us how we can develop moral reasoning about our own cultures.

Me: Are there differences between cultural ethical relativism, individual ethical relativism, and descriptive ethical relativism?

Rovane: Yes, as for descriptive ethical relativism it observes that diverse cultures have different moral standards. It does not advocate the tolerance of all behavior in light of cultural disagreements. In such a case it would be prudent to understand that cultures should only be judged based on the prevailing standards and conditions in which that culture arises.

Midgley: When it comes to cultural ethical relativism it holds that there is no ultimate measure or standard of what is good or bad and as such, judgment on what is right or wrong must only be seen as a product of the society. In such a case no ethical system is better than the other and all systems are valid thereby opinions on morality are subject to the cultural perspective of the individual. As for individual ethical relativism judgments about morality are subject to an individual’s point of view. A person’s perspective regarding what is good or bad influences one’s cultural understanding.

Argument

Moral relativism is the perception that moral judgment can only be regarded as true or false relative to a certain standpoint either cultural or historical and that none of these standpoints have unique privilege over any other. With moral relativism, there exist no universal moral standards as tolerance is endorsed to fit this bracket of universal morals. It relativizes the truth of moral claims and as such moral relativism upholds cultural diversity. For instance, cultural moral relativism suggests that every culture has its standards and as such these standards are what constitutes morality in that setting. Another practical moral relativism in this regard is individual moral relativism which points out that there exists a variety of values from one person to another and as such, each person has his/her own set of moral principles that is valid. This way there exists no concept of right moral principles as it is determined and shaped by individual desires. I would say moral relativism is correct given that we cannot be accustomed to a universal code of morality while our cultures are relative giving rise to different cultural perspectives. For example, when it comes to some cultural practices that are regarded evil such as holocaust they ought to be judged only going by local moral truths that are prevailing in that very cultural conditions in which the practice has arisen.

Works Cited

Ethical Relativism, Fall 2019.

Mary Midgley, Trying out one’s new Sword. Heart and Mind.1981 St. Martin’s Press, Inc. P. 159-165.

Katinka J. P. Quintelier and Daniel M. T. Fessler, Varying versions of moral relativism: the philosophy and psychology of normative relativism. Department of Anthropology and Center for Behavior, Evolution & Culture.2012. University of

California, Los Angeles. 27:95–113.