1. Taking Ethics Seriously

3. Ethical Relativism

4. Ethical Relativism
Moral truths are not absolutely true, but “true” relative to some particular standards

5. Ethical Relativism
Moral truths are not absolutely true, but “true” relative to some particular standards
One’s culture

6. Ethical Relativism
Moral truths are not absolutely true, but “true” relative to some particular standards
One’s culture
One’s personal opinion

7. Ethical Relativism
Moral truths are not absolutely true, but “true” relative to some particular standards
One’s culture
Cultural relativism: Moral truths are not absolutely true but are relative to a particular society.
One’s personal opinion

8. Ethical Relativism
Moral truths are not absolutely true, but “true” relative to some particular standards
One’s culture
Cultural relativism: Moral truths are not absolutely true but are relative to a particular society.
Whether an act is right or wrong depends on the moral norms of society and not on an absolute standard.
One’s personal opinion

9. Ethical Relativism
Moral truths are not absolutely true, but “true” relative to some particular standards
One’s culture
Cultural relativism: Moral truths are not absolutely true but are relative to a particular society.
Whether an act is right or wrong depends on the moral norms of society and not on an absolute standard.
One’s personal opinion
Individual relativism: Moral truths are not absolute but relative to individuals.

10. Ethical Relativism
Moral truths are not absolutely true, but “true” relative to some particular standards
One’s culture
Cultural relativism: Moral truths are not absolutely true but are relative to a particular society.
Whether an act is right or wrong depends on the moral norms of society and not on an absolute standard.
One’s personal opinion
Subjectivism: Moral truths are not absolute but relative to individuals.
Whether an act is right or wrong depends on the convictions of the person performing it and not on an absolute standard.

11. Ethical Relativism
For some, a corollary to a more general relativism – there’s no “real world” at all, no “objective truth” about anything.

12. Ethical Relativism
For some, a corollary to a more general relativism – there’s no “real world” at all, no “objective truth” about anything.
If there are no facts, then of course there aren’t moral facts

13. NOTHING IS TRUE

14. NOTHING IS TRUE
Is that true?

16. Ethical Relativism
For some, a corollary to a more general relativism – there’s no “real world” at all, no “objective truth” about anything.
For others, there may be facts, but just not moral facts. So, realism about the world but relativism about ethics.

17. Ethical Relativism
For some, a corollary to a more general relativism – there’s no “real world” at all, no “objective truth” about anything.
For others, there may be facts, but just not moral facts. So, realism about the world but relativism about ethics.
Why?

18. Some things are relative
“Manners” – these are different from one culture to another, and within one culture different over time

19. Some things are relative
“Manners” – these are different from one culture to another, and within one culture different over time
Social coordination rules – e.g. traffic rules

20. Some things are relative
“Manners” – these are different from one culture to another, and within one culture different over time
Social coordination rules – e.g. traffic rules
Pluralism of individual preferences

21. Some things are relative
“Manners” – these are different from one culture to another, and within one culture different over time
Social coordination rules – e.g. traffic rules
Pluralism of individual preferences
We really do want to understand these sorts of normative claims as relativistic

22. Ethical relativism gets traction by inviting comparison between those normative claims which are best understood as relativistic and moral claims.

23. Ethical relativism gets traction by inviting comparison between those normative claims which are best understood as relativistic and moral claims. Our question: Is this a warranted move?

24. Ethical relativism gets traction by inviting comparison between those normative claims which are best understood as relativistic and moral claims. Our question: Is this a warranted move? So: let’s consider Richter’s four arguments against relativism