Moral Relativism

The idea that Fundamental Moral Principles vary in certain groups and certain periods. There is no single universally valid moral code. The relativist is a Realist, they just allow a mass variation of truth.

Optional Incompatibilities

Moral relativism may be incompatible with Objective Morality - More specifically Metaphysical Necessity and Moral Universality depending on your Morality Job Description.

Sides

Absolutists

Moral truths apply for everyone across societies, cultures and time

Relativists

Moral truths do not hold for true for all groups and periods of time

Contrast

The rules of etiquette; derivatives of Fundamental Moral Principles Example:

• Etiquette: Slavery was socially accepted, but we say it is morally unacceptable
• Derivative moral facts: In promises. We are not obliged to see our professor’s daughter’s baseball game because we did not make a promise. The fundamental moral principle is “keep your promises”.
• Fashion

Views

Normative View

The individual ought to conform to the moral code of their society

Incompatibility With Non-Cognitivism

There must be first an imperative ‘follow your societies moral codes even if that code is really bad’ issued to every rational being first. It does not seem like any tolerance-loving person would issue this command - because they would know it may lead to unintended consequences. Thus it seems unreasonable

Incompatibility with Constructivism

The constructivist doesn’t have to say that the facts in the Moral Code are the mind-dependent facts that society sees is acceptable.

• It could actually be that the valid moral code is made by God’s Will
• The valid moral code could be made by Mind Dependent facts created by an entirely different society, to impose on the current society
• It could be a valid moral code made by the same members of the society in Ideal Circumstances, but that code does not necessarily align with what the society sees as acceptible now

Incompatible with Motive Internalism

Moral Code needs to motivate you to act in alignment of it.

• If you are motivated by it, you need not accept the Moral Code
• You might not have that motivation that you recognise at this moment. You might develop those motivations in the future. So the current Moral Code does not fit you

Descriptive View

Different societies accept different Moral codes

Compatibility With Non-Cognitivism

If we see moral claims as imperatives, then the society’s moral code will apply to us as commands. They will address us directly. There is no way a command is absolute. Hence, it is compatible with relativism

Incompatibility With Realism

We cannot prove that different groups believe in different Fundamental Moral Principles.

Subdomains

• Cultural Relativism
• Relativism Criterias
• Moral Code
• Differences Because of Relativism

Foundationalist Theories

• Contractarianism
• Rule Consequentialist
• Ideal Observer
• Universability

Issues With Relativism

Hidden Relativization

Moral laws appear to be universal, but are implicity relativized. For example: “The podium is to the right”. But my left is not your right.

Problem of No Meaning

If implicit relativization is true, then this imples that no society can ever be mistaken about the moral code. This is very similar to the command-issuing in Non-Cognitivism. This means that moral disagreement actually talks past eachother. Moral progress then seems impossible. Then moral progress is only either:

• Rhetoric
• Deceptive

Can Be Mistaken for Fundamental Moral Principles Derivative Arguments

Moral beliefs in a culture could be based off what is best for the culture based off empirical data. For example, capital punishment being ethical in one culture to deter crime vs it being unethical in another because it doesn’t deter crime. This could simply be an argument about the non-moral principle it was based on.

All Relativists Must Accept The Absolute Truth to Follow Their Societies Commands

For relativism to be true, then no person should be able to not follow the truths of the society. Each relativist must accept this one absolute truth.

Likely to Have Same Fundamental Moral Codes

Facts about the human condition seems to be the same in most societies so it appears that most societies may be that the same fundamental moral code is shared between all societies. Then, if all societies have the same moral code, there is no relativism.