Philosophy 110: morality/ethics 5.1

(1) infants should be cared for (2) lying is wrong (3) murder is wrong

James Rachels argues that certain moral rules are essential for any society to survive and that a healthy society will condone violations of these rules only under exceptional conditions. The three rules are...

dependency thesis

asserts that moral beliefs, rules, and practices are essentially dependent on the cultural patterns of society in which they occur

epistemological relativism

belief that there are no ethical truths (?)

(1) subjective ethical relativism (ethical subjectivism) (2) conventional ethical relativism (ethical conventionalism)

ethical relativism comes in two versions

live and let live

ethical relativism encourages people to follow the principle...

diversity thesis

states that moral beliefs, rules, and practices differ from society to society.

absolutism

the claim that not only are moral principles objective but also they cannot be overridden and there cannot be any exceptions to them

ethical objectivism

the position that certain moral principles are universal (they apply to all persons in all times) and objective (they are not based on the opinions of individuals or cultures)

ethical relativism

the theory that there are no objective or universally valid moral principles, because all moral judgments are simply a matter of human opinion

ethical objectivism

the view that there are universal and objectively valid moral principles that are relative to neither the individual nor society

ethical subjectivism

when anyone (not just the subjectivist) makes a moral judgement such as, "It is morally right to tax the rich to support the poor," or, "Abortion is wrong," he or she is simply reporting or expressing personal approval (or disapproval) of an action as well as his or her attitudes and feelings