Lecture Notes: Are Right and Wrong Just Matters of Opinion? On Moral Relativism and Subjectivism

Introduction

• The lecture explores fundamental questions in metaethics:
  • What is morality?
  • Is morality objective?
  • Are moral facts universally true and binding?
  • Is morality merely relative to cultures and personal preferences?

Concepts in Moral Philosophy

Moral Realism vs. Anti-Realism

• Moral Realism:
  • Belief in mind-independent moral facts.
  • Morality is true and binding regardless of personal beliefs.
  • Example: Rape is wrong universally, irrespective of cultural beliefs.
• Moral Anti-Realism:
  • Denies the existence of mind-independent moral facts.
  • Moral Relativism: Ethics are relative to cultural standpoints.

Descriptive Relativism

• Observes that moral codes vary across cultures.
• Used by some as an argument against moral objectivity.

Metaethical Relativism

• Claims moral truths are only relative to specific groups.
• Ethical statements are true or false relative to cultural context.

Normative Relativism

• Strongest form of relativism.
• Argues against judging other cultures' ethical codes.
• Contends there is no objective standpoint for evaluating moral codes.
• Critiques:
  • Might imply a universal moral fact, contradicting relativism.

Challenges to Relativism

Problem of Moral Diversity

• Relativism explains moral disagreements across cultures.
• Objections from realists:
  • Disagreements might be knowledge-based, not value-based.
  • Objective morality could still exist despite diversity.

Objections to Relativism

• Relative to Whom?
  • Difficulty defining 'culture' in moral terms.
  • Challenges in acknowledging minority ethical views.
• Some Things Just Seem Wrong
  • Reductio ad absurdum against relativism: practices like slavery might be seen as acceptable.
  • Concessions about universal moral facts undermine relativism.

Relativism and Tolerance

• Promotes humility and tolerance but faces contradictions:
  • If all moralities are equal, why prioritize tolerance?

No Room for Social Reform and Progress

• Relativism implies moral changes are not improvements.
• Social reforms in history challenge relativism.
  • Example: Abolition of slavery.

Conclusion

• Relativism is often rooted in noble virtues like tolerance but is inconsistent and faces significant criticisms.
• Highlights moral progress and the existence of moral facts that challenge relativism.
• Survey finding: Majority of philosophers are not relativists, suggesting skepticism about relativism's validity.

References

• Includes works by Bearak, Cameron, Bourget, Chalmers, Herodotus, Kirk, Sharma, and others.

Further Reading

• Suggests texts by James Dreier, Gilbert Harman, and others for deeper understanding of moral relativism and related topics.