The discussion question for this week is: do you think that the fact that people disagree about moral right and wrong shows that ethical relativism is true? Explain.

For the first post you will need to start a new thread and offer your thoughts on the discussion question. This post should be at least 300 words.

For each of the other three posts you will need to go to a thread created by another student, read his or her thoughts (and any comments that have already been written), then offer a response. These posts should each be at least 100 words.

FIRST POST TO REPLY: The fact that people disagree about morality does not prove that moral relativism is true. It also does not prove that moral relativism is false, either.

While it is true that what one considers moral is influenced greatly, if not entirely, by the process of enculturation, this fact speaks only to what one believes to be the morally right path to follow, and not to what is objectively the morally right path to follow (The objectivity or subjectivity of morality is an entirely different discussion. I am unsure whether the concept of secular morality exists).

As defined in the textbook, ethical relativism not only recognizes cultural relativism, but also allows for truth values to be assigned to moral beliefs and actions within a culture’s collective moral belief system. For example, if moral relativism is true: In my culture, if it is considered morally right for me to commit action A, and considered morally wrong for me to commit action B, then it is true that action A is morally right and it is true that action B is morally wrong. The assigning of absolute truth values to culture-bound moral beliefs is not logical. It is not logical to assign truth values to culture-bound moral statements either solely within the confines of the culture, nor is it logical to allow the truth values of moral statements to be universal and absolute- as it seems the text argues.

The ability to argue ideas does not give any information into the truth or untruth of the ideas. The ability to argue ideas also does not give any information about whether or not it is possible for the ideas to be true or false. It is possible to argue against the truth of an idea that is universally considered true, such as that 2 + 2 = 4. To argue against this fact would be a very weak argument, as the truth value of the mathematical statement is absolute, but it could be made nonetheless.

It is possible for both objective facts and subjective ideas to be argued. The presence of argument does not change whether the thing being argued has or does not have a truth value.

SECOND POST TO REPLY: Based on the reading, I definitely think that the fact that people disagree about moral right and wrong shows that ethical relativism is true. The reading states that “Ethical relativism holds that moral right and wrong depend on the society or culture to which you belong… this theory implies that we cannot say that one group’s moral beliefs are any better or worse than another’s”. Basically, morality, whether something is morally right or morally wrong, varies from culture to culture. I actually had a hard time with this chapter as it was difficult to discern between ethical and descriptive relativism, which is defined in the readings as “what people believe is morally right and wrong differs from one society to another”. So Descriptive relativism is what people believe is wrong or right, and ethical relativism is what actually is morally right and wrong. Anthropologist Melville J. Herskovits supported ethical relativism and stated that there is not one correct set of moral standards; the moral standards vary from culture to culture. He also stated that a single person’s morals are dictated by the morals of their culture. Additionally, he says that morality is not rational. The moral standards of a society are traditions handed down from ancestors.
There were many examples such as Inuits leaving their elderly on ice to die and twin infanticide in Nigeria to keep poverty down. Since these things are normalized and seen as morally right to these cultures, the individual doesn’t see it as morally wrong because it is accepted by the rest of their society.
These are things we would never do here in America, but for other cultures these things are tradition and normal. It works for them. Here in America we have different moral beliefs, and there are many different societies within America whose morals vary due to having different cultural backgrounds.

THIRD POST TO REPLY: Absolutely I believe that the fact that people disagree about moral right and wrong shows that ethical relativism is true. Although my only disagreement with that statement is beyond society or culture, I believe it has to do with micro-environments as well. For example, people who were raised Amish, or in cults. Their communities tend to be pretty small, and usually do not follow what a society as a whole would agree with. But this is exactly why you see different governments. Democracy is seen as evil in some countries, while in others, communism is seen as evil. This is why in some cultures, killing others to persevere in your religion is considered noble. I recently watched a Youtube video titled “I Spent a Day with North Korean Defectors”, where an American man, Anthony Padilla, interviews people who escaped the dictatorship in North Korea and talk about their experiences. What you notice is that oftentimes, the citizens did not know any different. They were taught that everyone outside of North Korea is evil, and that the dictator is all mighty, and that everyone who doesn’t agree should be punished. Once they escape, they realize how incredibly different it is outside of North Korea. Even though it seems completely obvious to us that the treatment these citizens receive is inhumane, as a society (partly because of the strict and harsh laws), they collectively have agreed that this dictator is in fact, all mighty, but mostly because they do not know better. Either way, you will see how in some cultures, things we may see as morally wrong, they may see as morally right or neutral, and it has every thing to do with what kind of family and culture you grew up in. Even in America we will see that families will disagree with eachother on morally right or wrong issues based on if hteir views are more conservative or liberal.