Relativism Philosophy in Education

1. RELATIVISM
A presentation on Supporters and Dissenters
By Zenon Lys
For ALL Academy for Lifelong Learning
December 7, 2015

2. What exactly is relativism?
• Relativism is a philosophical theory that is simple in
foundation but broad in implication
1. All opinions, beliefs, religions, and moralities are equally good
(Moral Relativism)
2. All beliefs, truth statements, worldviews, and theories are
equally true (Cognitive or Epistemic Relativism)

3. Possible implications
Positive Relativism
• No one has a better morals
system, beliefs system, or
truth claim
• Provides solid logical grounds
to prevent conflict and
promote acceptance
• The ultimate philosophical
theory of tolerance
Negative Relativism
• No one has the Truth or the
knowledge of what is Good
• Truth doesn’t exist, or it can
never be reached
• There is no Good or Bad, and
no action can be condemned

4. Supporters of relativism in philosophy
1. Ludwig Wittgenstein
2. Richard Rorty
3. Friedrich Nietzsche

5. Dissenters of relativism in philosophy
1. Plato
2. Aristotle
3. Alvin Plantinga

6. Ludwig Wittgenstein
• Wrote a book which supposedly solved all major
problems in Philosophy (Tractatus and The
Philosophical Investigations)
• “Picture Theory”
• Propositions are meaningful if they can be represented with
empirical fact.
• The problems in Philosophy are an issue of
language
• The issue is not of what is true, rather it is what you mean
• Language cannot convey concepts of Absolute Truth.

7. Discussion Regarding Wittgenstein
• “Is it Always wrong to kill someone?”
• “Are all people intrinsically equal?”
• “Can we have certainty (or truth)?”
• “Can you see Oxygen?”
• “Can you see mathematics?”

8. Richard Rorty
• Disagrees and claims that all foundational philosophies
are false.
• This is because they tend toward a metaphysical realm
(Which many post-Kantian thinkers deny)
• There is no Truth, no ‘God’s-eye point of view’
• Only flux and flow exists, the ever changing nature of the
human condition
• Instead of hunting for a ‘Truth’ we should go after what
works for us, what has utility, and what progresses
humanity (a form of pragmatism).

9. Discussion Regarding Rorty
• “Is Logic only a social convention?”
• “Is Mathematics only a social convention?”
• “Does Truth exist?”
• “Can we ever have a God’s eye view of reality?”
• “Does science actually describe reality?”

10. Friedrich Nietzsche
• Speaks of how “God Is Dead” and proclaims all the
following are implications that follow from this premise
• No Truth
• No meaning to life (Nietzsche focused quite a bit on values)
• No Justice
• No morality
• There is only the “Will to power”- He who has power has
‘Justice’
• Our society is built on lies
• We have conventions and follow ‘laws’ that fail to follow the “Will to
power”

11. Discussion Regarding Nietzsche
• “Are there any absolute truths?”
• “Do absolute values exist?”
• “If life is meaningless, can we escape the dread?”
• “Is there such a thing as absolutely good or bad?”
• “Do you agree with ‘The will to power’ if yes or no,
why?”

12. Plato
• The Philebus (A Dialogue by Plato)
• Within it, Socrates points out several issues that he has
with Hedonism and epistemic relativism
• Philebus (and later Portarchus)  Pleasure and delight
are good
• Socrates  Wisdom, intelligence, truth and reasoning are
good
• Eventually, Socrates catches Portarchus in a circular
argument
• If all beliefs are correct, then Socrates’ belief that Portarchus
is wrong is correct, and Portarchus is wrong.

13. Discussion Regarding Plato
• “Does relativism fall into a circular argument as
Socrates claims?”
• “Can a proposition be both true and false (Or rather,
can it be neither)?”
• “If absolute truth exists, can we have knowledge of it?
”
• “If absolute truth doesn’t exist, can we ‘know’
anything? (is truth a necessary condition of
knowledge?)
• “Is ‘Good’ fulfilling your own personal pleasures?”

14. Aristotle
• Morality is a “Golden Mean” between a entrapping vice
and an excessive virtue
• Courage is a mean between Cowardice and Recklessness
• We should habituate this mean, and make it a part of
our everyday routine to live the Good life
• Truth is a simple entity that is plain to see
• Anything that can be sensed
• Phenomena that can be explained using the senses
• Anything that is logical (Aristotle’s unmoved mover)

15. Discussion Regarding Aristotle
• “Do we have to ability to ascertain Vices and Virtues?”
• “Can we use logic to prove things beyond our senses?”
• “Is logic a basis for knowledge?”
• “Can our senses give us a factual representation of
reality?”
• “If Good is a golden mean, how can we identify it?”

16. Alvin Plantinga
• Truth is what can be proven using our senses and
rationality
• These are based upon principles called “Basic beliefs”
• Basic beliefs: Beliefs that one is justified to hold, being that to
believe otherwise would lead one into circularity
• “Is the law on non-contradiction in existence or non-existence?”
• Planting's morality comes from the Decalogue and other
biblical bases
• However he claims that certain moral laws are self evident
• Humans have a universal morality, and when they go against it they
‘Justify’ it
• This morality is reflected from the Decalogue

17. Discussion Regarding Plantinga
• “Do you agree with the proposition that some Ideas cannot
be questioned?”
• “Can we question Logic?”
• “Can we question what is Good or Bad?”
• “Is certainty a necessary condition for knowledge?”
• “Is belief in G od a ‘basic belief’?”

18. Works cited
• Burnham, Douglas. Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy. Staffordshire University.
Web. Accessed 14Apr. 2015.
• Cottingham, John ed. Western Philosophy: an Anthology. Oxford:
Blackwell Publishing, 1996. Print.
• Nietzsche, Fredrick. The Portable Nietzsche. Trans. Walter Kaufmann. New York:
Viking Penguin Inc, 1954. Print.