Download Relativism

What’s wrong with
relativism?
Michael Lacewing
Descriptive relativism
 Moral codes differ from one society to the
next:
 Some believe slavery is permissible, some don’t.
 Some enforce female circumcision, some don’t
 Some hold that everyone should be treated as
equals, some don’t
 This is a factual claim.
Moral relativism
 There is no objective moral standard
independent of what societies endorse.
 There is no objective moral truth for all people at
all times.
 ‘Morally right’ = ‘right according to (some)
society’s moral code’
 So we can’t say that a society’s moral values or
practices are objectively right/wrong.
Relativism and
subjectivism
 Relativism analyses morality as essentially
socially.
 Relativism is not subjectivism.
 Subjectivism makes morality ‘relative’ to each
individual person.
 According to relativism, society determines there is a
right answer for individuals within that society.
From descriptive to moral
relativism
 Descriptive relativism doesn’t imply
normative relativism.
 Disagreement is not enough to abandon truth
 Societies could make mistakes.
 Societies are not trying to get at the ‘ethical
truth’; instead ethical values and practices are
part of a way of living.
Scientific v. ethical ‘truth’
 Science: discovers how the one, physical world is
 Ethics: there are many social worlds with
different conventions, not one world which
guides us towards agreement.
 What would explain ethical ‘mistakes’ or getting
the correct answer?
Tolerance
 Relativism does not imply tolerance.
 Incoherence:
 1) there are no objective moral truths, so
 2) you ought to respect other moralities
 But (2) states what is supposed to be an objective
moral truth!
 What if my society’s moral code recommends
intolerance?
Tolerance
 Why should I be tolerant? Why should I respect other
people’s views?
 Are the answers reasons for everyone to be tolerant?
 Then there are these universal moral truths: it is right to
respect others, it is right to be tolerant
 Believing that there are universal moral truths does not
mean forcing these views on others.
 Especially if one of the universal moral truths I believe is
that tolerance is good!
 Of course, I may try to persuade you that I am right – but
what is wrong with rational argument?
Moral authority
 Does relativism entail that ‘anything goes’?
 If the ‘authority’ of morality is society, why should
we be concerned with what society thinks?
 This is different from the question: why are we
concerned with what society thinks?
 Perhaps we should be tolerant. But this has limits –
should we tolerate everything?
 Can we meaningfully condemn the practices of other
societies?
Condemnation and
improvement
 Some moral views rest on errors of fact.
 Three justifications for female genital mutilation:
 If you don’t remove a girl’s clitoris, it will continue to grow
 If a man’s penis touches a clitoris, this will kill him
 ‘Unnatural stimulation’ of a clitoris causes epilepsy and
other mental illnesses
 Slaves (whoever, wherever!) have lower IQs.
Condemnation and
improvement
 There can be objective improvements in
rationality
 Becoming more consistent (applying principles more
broadly)
 Suppose it were true that slaves have lower IQs – should all
people who have lower IQs be enslaved?
 Treatment of animals (pets v. laboratory experiments v.
food)
 Becoming more coherent (resolving tensions between
principles)
Descriptive relativism and
human nature
 Different societies share many general principles and
virtues
 E.g. prohibitions on killing, lying, theft
 Endorse care of the weak and courage
 Different ethical practices reflect different conditions, not
different principles
 Aristotle: we all aim to achieve the best life
 We all live in some society, and will need similar virtues for this
 Some societies endorse traits that don’t help people flourish
Relativism and human
nature
 Reply: There is no one ‘best’ life for people – the idea is
culturally relative.
 Not all societies believe everyone is equal, so don’t agree
that everyone should be assisted to achieve the best life.
 But are we confident enough to defend a universal
framework within which there are a variety of acceptable
answers?