Relativism (PPT)

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Lawrence M. Hinman, Ph.D.Director, The Values InstituteUniversity of San Diego

2/21/2013 Lawrence M. Hinmanhttp://ethics.acusd.edu/values/

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Ethical Relativism,

Absolutism,and Pluralism
mailto:[email protected]?subject=PowerPoint%20Presentationmailto:[email protected]?subject=PowerPoint%20Presentation


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Introduction

This presentation arises out of two

distinct sources:

In ethics, I have been interested insketching out a middle ground

between absolutism and relativism.

In teaching, I have been interested inexploring ways in which we visualize

knowledge.


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Between Relativism and

Absolutism

As a teacher, I found that neither

relativism nor absolutism was

satisfactory.

I found myself looking for somethingin between these two extremes


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Ethical Relativism

Ethical relativism has several important insights:

The need for tolerance and understanding

The fact of moral diversity We should not pass judgment on practices in

other cultures when we dont understandthem

Sometimes reasonable people may differ onwhats morally acceptable


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Two Types of Relativism

Descriptive ethical relativism

Claims as a matter of fact that different

cultures have different moral values

Normative ethical relativism

Claims that each culture is right unto itself


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Three Questions about the Meaning of

Relativism

Morality is relative.

Relative to

what?

Individuals

Cultures

Nations

Groups

How much of

morality is

relative?All

Most

Some

What part of moralityis relative?

Behavior

Peripheral values

Fundamental values


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Relative to what?

Descriptive ethical relativists say that

moral values are relative, but to

what: Culture

Nation

Group Individualsubjectivism

How do we individuate cultures?


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What is relative?

Behavior

Different behaviors may exemplify the same value

The same behavior may exemplify different values

in different culture

Peripheral values

Obviously some culturally-specific values

Core values Are there central values found in all cultures?


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Ethical Relativism: Limitations

Presupposes an epistemological

solipsism

Is unhelpful in dealing with overlaps

of cultures--precisely where we need

help.

Commerce and trade

Media

World Wide Web

Is self-defensive:if we cant judge

others, neither can they judge us


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Ethical Relativism:

Solipsism Sometimes we say that we

cant judge other cultures

because we cant fully

understand them.

Do we need full

understanding to judgesomething?

Do we even have full

understanding of

ourselves?

Would this eliminateanthropology as a

discipline?

Does it deny a main goal

of multiculturalism?


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Ethical Relativism:

Overlapping Cultures, 1

Ethical relativism

suggests that we

let each culturelive as it sees fit

This is only

feasible when

cultures dont haveto interact with one

another.


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Ethical Relativism:


The challenge of the

coming century is

precisely

overlappingcultures: Multinational

corporations

International media--BBC, MTV, CNN

International sports--

Olympics

World Wide Web


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Ethical Relativism:


The actual

situation in todays

world is muchcloser to the

diagram at the

right.


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Ethical Relativism:

A Self-Defensive Position

Ethical relativism maintains that we

cannot make moral judgments about

other cultures The corollary of this is that we are

protected in principle against the

judgments made by other cultures Shares this characteristic with

absolutism


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Ethical Absolutism

Absolutism comes in

many versions--including

the divine right of kings

Absolutism is less aboutwhatwe believe and more

about howwe believe it

Common elements:

There is a single Truth

Their position embodies

that truth


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Ethical Absolutism

Ethical absolutism gets some thingsright

We need to make judgments (at least

sometimes) Certain things are intolerable

But it gets some things wrong,

including: Our truth is the truth

We cant learn from others


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Ethical Pluralism

Combines insights of both relativism and

absolutism:

The central challenge: how to live togetherwith differing and conflicting values

Fallibilism: recognizes that we might be

mistaken

Sees disagreement as a possible strength: checks and balances government analogy


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Ethical Pluralism, 2

Ethical pluralism offers three categories todescribe actions:

Prohibited: those actions which are not

seen as permissible at all

Absolutism sees the importance of this

Tolerated: those actions and values in

which legitimate differences are possible

Relativism sees the importance of this Ideal: a moral vision of what the ideal

society would be like


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Ethical Pluralism, 3

For each action or

policy, we can

place it in one ofthree regions:

Ideal--Center

Permitted--Middle

Respected Tolerated

Prohibited--Outside


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Five Questions

What is the present state?

What is the ideal state?

What is the minimally acceptablestate?

How do we get from the present to

the minimally acceptable state? How do we get from the minimum to

the ideal state?


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Developing a Moral Stance

Heres a way of visualizing these issues:

Flash Animation


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What is the present state?

1) Overall, the actual state of race andethnicity in American society is:

a) Excellent

B Very good

c) Good d) Poor

e) Terrible

2) List three important facts that support

your evaluation in #1 a)

b)

c)


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What is the present state?--#2

#3. What are the three most

important issues facing us in regard

to race and ethnicity today? a)

b)

c)


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What is the minimally acceptable

state?

What are the minimum conditions

necessary for a just society in regardto race and ethnicity? List at least

three characteristics or conditions.

#1 #2

#3


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What is the ideal state?

What are the ideal conditionsnecessary for a just society in regard

to race and ethnicity? List at leastthree characteristics or conditions.

#1

#2 #3


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How should we get from the present to

the minimally acceptable state?

How should we get from the actualstate to the minimally acceptable

state? List specific ways of gettingfrom the actual state of society to

the minimal conditions listed

earlier. Examples: laws, taxes, regulations,

protests, civil disobedience


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How should we get from the

present to the ideal state?

How should we get from the actual

state to the ideal state? List specificways of getting from the actual state

of society to the ideal conditions

listed above.

Examples: Public relations campaigns,

education, tax incentives, laws


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References

This presentation is available at: http://ethics.acusd.edu/presentations/Hinman/theory/relativism/

http://ethics.acusd.edu/socialethics/ Additional resources:

http://ethics.acusd.edu/relativism.html
http://ethics.acusd.edu/presentations/Hinman/theory/relativism/http://ethics.acusd.edu/socialethics/http://ethics.acusd.edu/relativism.htmlhttp://ethics.acusd.edu/relativism.htmlhttp://ethics.acusd.edu/socialethics/http://ethics.acusd.edu/presentations/Hinman/theory/relativism/


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Appendix.

Developing Moral Common

GroundGoals Understanding

ourselves

others the issue

Common Ground

agreement where appropriate living with some disagreements

changing the situation

Relativism (PPT)

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