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In the context of moral relativism, how can societal belief changes impact the moral framework?
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Societal belief changes can fundamentally alter what is considered moral if morality is based on those beliefs, highlighting the fluidity and potential instability of relativistic morality.
Why does individual moral relativism struggle to account for personal moral progress?
It struggles because, under individual moral relativism, if beliefs change, both past and present beliefs are true, making it difficult to claim any previous belief as wrong.
Why might the problem of conflicting cultural affiliations be significant for moral relativism?
Because it challenges the core premise that cultural beliefs dictate morality by creating scenarios where competing cultural norms are equally valid.
What issue arises when multiple cultural affiliations provide conflicting moral guidance?
Cultural moral relativism doesn't specify which cultural norm should take precedence, leading to moral ambiguity for the individual.
What is cultural moral relativism?
Cultural moral relativism posits that morality is based on the cultural practices of a society.
Why is the inability to recognize past mistakes a problem for individual moral relativism?
Because it means individuals can't acknowledge that a previously held belief was wrong, making moral improvement incoherent.
What would the impact be on moral dialogues if individual moral relativism holds true?
Moral dialogues would be problematic because each individual could claim all their beliefs are true, undermining objective moral discourse.
What example is given to illustrate an individual's dilemma in cultural moral relativism?
The example of an American Catholic in Manhattan who faces conflicting moral claims on abortion is used to illustrate this dilemma.
What is individual moral relativism?
Individual moral relativism holds that morality is determined by an individual's personal beliefs.
What is the 'Fuzziness Problem' in cultural moral relativism?
The 'Fuzziness Problem' refers to the ambiguity in determining what percentage of a population must hold a belief for it to define the culture's morality, especially in evenly split societies.
What is the consequence of cultural moral relativism's lack of guidance in split cultural beliefs?
The consequence is that it fails to provide clear normative direction, rendering it ineffective in providing moral guidance in divided societies.
How does cultural moral relativism derive normative guidance?
Cultural moral relativism attempts to derive normative guidance from the prevailing moral beliefs of a culture, but this becomes problematic in culturally divided societies.
Explain how cultural moral relativism addresses moral conflicts between different cultural groups.
Cultural moral relativism struggles to address such conflicts as it lacks a mechanism to prioritize one culture's norms over another's.
What does the lecture conclude about the effectiveness of relativism in providing moral guidance?
The lecture concludes that relativism faces significant challenges and objections that undermine its effectiveness in providing consistent moral guidance.
How does cultural moral relativism fail when an individual belongs to multiple cultures with conflicting norms?
It provides no clear guideline on which cultural norm to prioritize, leaving individuals with unresolved moral conflicts.
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