Ethical relativism holds that there are no objective moral standards and that right and wrong are defined by cultural and individual perspectives. Relativists argue that moral diversity and uncertainty across cultures and situations show the lack of universal standards. However, critics argue that moral diversity does not necessarily mean an absence of shared principles, and uncertainty in deciding right from wrong does not imply its nonexistence. Relativism is also said to promote tolerance, but forcing acceptance of all practices risks discomfort and prevents questioning customs, including one's own.

1. Ethical Relativism

2.  Ethicalrelativists hold that there are no
objective moral standards.
 Thismeans that there is no universal right
or wrong.
 Rightand wrong would be defined by
things like individual perspective or cultural
values.

3. Moral diversity does seem to exist.
 We can look at different cultures and religions
to see that there are a multitude of value
systems in use.
 Ethical relativists argue that since this moral
diversity does exist, it follows that we have
not been able to come up with any objective
moral standards over the course of human
history.
 This is because there simply are none.

4. Moral uncertainty describes the situation we
often find ourselves in when confronting
moral decisions.
 We often wonder what is the right thing to
do.
 Relativists
say this is because there is no
objective standard to fall back on.

5. Situational differences also seem to exist.
 The right thing to do may depend upon
things like where you live, when you live,
family dynamics, political climate, etc.
 Moral relativists claim that these
differences demonstrate the lack of
objective or universal standards.

6. Finally, ethical relativists commonly assert
that relativism promotes tolerance.
 If we accept that there are no objective
ethical standards then we will be more
willing to accept practices foreign to our
own.

7. Response to the argument of Moral Diversity
 Although moral diversity does certainly seem to
exist, it does not necessarily follow that there are
no underlying principles held in common.
 In other words, maybe we are not looking deep
enough to find them.
 Although different cultures follow different
practices, the end goals may be essentially the
same.
 Also, we should ask whether these differences are
really moral disagreements or if they are simply
factual disagreements (is the goal the same but we
disagree regarding the facts?)

8. Response to the argument of Moral
Uncertainty
 In regards to moral uncertainty, non-
relativists would argue that implied in the
search for what is right is that there is an
answer.
 We may not have found the answer, but
that does not necessarily mean it does not
exist.

9. Response to the argument of Situational
Differences
 As regards situational differences, again,
we may not be looking deep enough.
 Again, the goal may be the same while we
simply go about achieving it in different
ways.
 For an example of this, see the video clip
of Kwame Appiah in this week’s folder.

10. Response to the argument of Tolerance
 The problem that non-relativists would point
out with this position is, first, we do (and
should) feel uncomfortable imagining a world
where anything is permissible.
 Should we really be comfortable saying we
have no opinion what ethical standards other
people follow?
 What about when it comes to things like cruel
punishments, female circumcision, or
genocide?

11.  Second, it would logically follow that if moral
standards differ from culture to culture, and if we
have no right to question another cultures moral
standards, we also have no right to question or
have opinions regarding the moral standards our
own culture has adopted.
 Yet, in our own culture, we have seen that
progress sometimes results from doing this very
thing, namely, challenging the ethical standards
our culture has adopted.
 Examples would be women’s suffrage and the civil
rights movement.

12.  Would you consider yourself a relativist?
How would you respond to the arguments
against relativism?
 What do you think is the strongest
argument for ethical relativism?
 Which is the strongest argument against
relativism?