1. Ethics and Values for Professionals Chapter 2: Ethical Relativism
Prepared by: Roger Nault

2. Chapter 2: Ethical Relativism​
Learning Objectives:
To identify the two broad approaches to understanding ethics;
To understand the fundamental stance of each approach;
To recognize various traditions within each approach;
To identify the errors of ethical relatvism. 2

3. “How should I live my life?” “What kind of a society do we want?”
Chapter 2: Ethical Relativism​
“How should I live my life?”
“What kind of a society do we want?”
To answer such questions:
There are cultural, political (legal), and religious traditions which do attempt to answer these questions; 3

4. Chapter 2: Ethical Relativism​
There are also a group of philosophical traditions which, combined with reasoning skills, provide us with not only a systematic answer to these questions, but also the rational justification for why we should decide and act a certain way. 4

5. (Philosophical Traditions)
Chapter 2: Ethical Relativism​
Ethical Theories
(Philosophical Traditions)
Relativist Theories
Ethical Subjectivism
Cultural Relativism
Universal Theories
Utilitarian
Deontology
Virtue 5

6. Relativist Ethical Theories:
Chapter 2: Ethical Relativism​
Relativist Ethical Theories:
Maintain that truth is subjective;
Maintain that all truth, including that about morality, is merely a matter of opinion:
Ethical Subjectivism: truth is a matter of personal opinion;
Cultural Relativism: truth is a matter of my culture’s opinion. 6

7. Relativist Ethical Theories:
Chapter 2: Ethical Relativism​
Relativist Ethical Theories:
Maintain that people create morality and that there are no universal moral principles (no moral truths) that apply equally to all people of all cultures all the time. 7

8. Universalist Theories:
Chapter 2: Ethical Relativism​
Universalist Theories:
Maintain that truth is objective;
Maintain that morality is not created but rather discovered; and
Maintain that there are universal moral principles (moral truths) that do apply equally to all people of all cultures all the time. 8

9. Universalist Theories:
Chapter 2: Ethical Relativism​
Universalist Theories:
Different perspectives on ethical situations
Virtue Ethics
Personal character
Intention
Deontology
Action
Utilitarianism
Consequences
Results 9

10. Relativist Ethical Theories:
Chapter 2: Ethical Relativism​
Relativist Ethical Theories:
Maintain that morality is merely a matter of opinion;
Opinions can never be wrong; and
All opinions are equally valid. 10

11. Relativist Ethical Theories:
Chapter 2: Ethical Relativism​
Relativist Ethical Theories:
Example:
(A) says “I think abortion is wrong.”
(B) asks “Why?”
(A) answers, “I don’t know, I just feel its wrong.”
(B) adds “Well I think abortion is permissible.”
(A) asks “Why?”
(B) answers, “I don’t know, I just feel like it is.” 11

12. Relativist Ethical Theories:
Chapter 2: Ethical Relativism​
Relativist Ethical Theories:
A relativist would have to say, (A) & (B) are equally correct (valid), even though they contradict each other and neither has given any support for their position.
Relativists maintain that each person is entitled to their own opinion, and no one opinion is more legitimate or more correct than others. 12

13. Relativist Ethical Theories:
Chapter 2: Ethical Relativism​
Relativist Ethical Theories:
For example: Child Labor
Western businesses are criticized in cases where they are found to employ child laborers overseas.
The local community may say “That’s the way we do it here. Don’t try to impose your “western” values on us”. – a very CR response – return to this example later. 13

14. Relativist Ethical Theories:
Chapter 2: Ethical Relativism​
Relativist Ethical Theories:
For example: Sexual Harassment
Male manager tells female applicant,
“You can have the job, only if you agree to sleep with me.”
Woman feels the situation is wrong
Man feels the situation is right
CR says both feelings are equally valid 14

15. Relativist Ethical Theories:
Chapter 2: Ethical Relativism​
Relativist Ethical Theories:
We would want to point out:
Unfair workplace discrimination
Inequality of power
Women faces unacceptable decision
Choose between livelihood and sexual integrity
That is coercive and threatening 15

16. Relativist Ethical Theories:
Chapter 2: Ethical Relativism​
Relativist Ethical Theories:
Male manager would unlikely accept as a general rule that employers are justified in using threats to coerce employees into such degrading acts. 16

17. Relativist Ethical Theories:
Chapter 2: Ethical Relativism​
Relativist Ethical Theories:
We are moving away from assertion of opinion,
Appealing to certain values and principles that justify and legitimize that opinion.
It is no longer mere opinion, but opinion based on principle. 17

18. Relativist Ethical Theories:
Chapter 2: Ethical Relativism​
Relativist Ethical Theories:
We point to certain facts:
Disproportionate power relationship
Importance of job – harm without job
Psychological good of self-respect,
Offer a conceptual analysis of integrity and its value to the self;
Discuss importance of personal autonomy
Employing the careful & rigorous rules of logic throughout our reasoning. 18

19. Relativist Ethical Theories:
Chapter 2: Ethical Relativism​
Relativist Ethical Theories:
The Relativist not only rejects their original conclusion, but also is left to agree with a wide variety of other beliefs and values:
Everyone should be treated with respect;
People should be free from coercion and threats
Self-respect is good, loss of dignity is harmful etc… 19

20. Relativist Ethical Theories:
Chapter 2: Ethical Relativism​
Relativist Ethical Theories:
Principles can then be established and transferred to other ethical situations:
A conclusion supported by appeal to such values as equality, fairness, freedom from coercion and harm, integrity and honesty is a conclusion that is more reasonable than one asserted as a personal feeling. 20

21. Relativist Ethical Theories:
Chapter 2: Ethical Relativism​
Relativist Ethical Theories:
With principles established, the controversy moves from, for example whether it is wrong to coerce people or not, to what constitutes coercion – i.e. in an ethical situation at hand, is anyone being coerced? 21

22. Chapter 2: Ethical Relativism​
Cultural Relativism:
“Our beliefs today are based on our unique historical journey as a cohesive community sharing a similar geographic, climactic, political, economic and religious experience.” 22

23. Chapter 2: Ethical Relativism​
Cultural Relativism:
“It’s right to do today, because its part of our traditions”
It’s right to do today, because we did it in the past.
The past is not relevant to today; and what was done is not relevant to what is right to do, then or now.
Logical fallacy: Appeal to Tradition 23

24. Chapter 2: Ethical Relativism​
Cultural Relativism:
“It’s right to do today, because everyone (thinks, says or) does it.”
It may be true that the issue is popular, but that does not mean that it is right to do.
Logical fallacy: Appeal to Popularity 24

25. Cultural Relativism: Many, many things are matters of opinion
Chapter 2: Ethical Relativism​
Cultural Relativism:
Many, many things are matters of opinion
i.e.: language
but not all things are matters of opinion 25

26. Chapter 2: Ethical Relativism​
Cultural Relativism:
Adhoc, Women’s Children’s Rights in Cambodia: Situation Report 2011:
“… domestic violence is seen as the norm and women themselves do not think it is criminal but a regular part of married life” (p. 1) 26

27. Cultural Relativism: In fact
Chapter 2: Ethical Relativism​
Cultural Relativism: In fact
There are truths that are objective, that is to say, truths that are not a matter of opinion;
Truths that transcend culture;
Truths that are universal - equally true, for all people of all cultures, all of the time.
For example: Pain is bad. 27

28. Cultural Relativism: A CR will disagree that pain is bad
Chapter 2: Ethical Relativism​
Cultural Relativism:
A CR will disagree that pain is bad
CR will say “it depends on your culture”.
If your culture says pain is bad, then for your culture pain is bad, but
if another culture says pain is good, then for that culture pain is good. 28

29. Chapter 2: Ethical Relativism​
Cultural Relativism:
We find that the arguments of the CR are based on logical fallacies and that truth is not merely a matter of opinion – there is such a thing as objective truth – truth that applies to all people of all cultures, all the time. 29

30. Chapter 2: Ethical Relativism​
Cultural Relativism:
We reject relativism as means for determining the most fundamental of questions,
“How should I life my life”. 30

31. Chapter 2: Ethical Relativism​
Review Questions:
Describe ethical relativism and at least 3 philosophical challenges to this position.
Describe the opposite approach to understanding ethics. 31

32. សូមអរគុណ