Morality

Morality

1. Relativism

   • Strengths
     • Encourages Tolerance
     • Rejects moral imperialism
     • Recognises Diversity
     • Individual Morality doesnt account for the masses
   • Weaknesses
     • Not all beliefs are necessarily equal
     • Cannot criticise other cultures
     • Ignores universal moral values
     • Offers little reason for behaving morally
     • Difference between social reform and moral imperialism?
     • Paradox
       • If Universal belief was relativism, it would be absolute
     • Too descriptive, should be a role in ethics for making judgements
       • View of Simon Blackburn

2. Absolutism

   • Strengths
     • Fixed Ethical Code
     • Universal
     • Allows different societies to share common values
     • Can Evaluate Other Societies
   • Weaknesses
     • Doesn't allow for evolutionary nature of humanity
     • Doesn't take circumstances into account
     • Takes No account of cultural diversity
     • Doesn't account for lesser evils, eg. Hiroshima
     • How can we know the absolute of morality if open to interpretation