1. Moral differences,
Moral Subjectivism,
& Cultural Relativism

2. Moral Subjectivism
“What I feel is right is right. What I feel is wrong is wrong.”
– Jean Jacques Rousseau
Ethical Subjectivism - There are no objective moral
truths – only an individual’s feelings or preferences.
Some Criticism:
 Anyone can harm others if it feels right to
them
 No arbitration between views possible, other
than the exercise of power.
 We do tend to think that arbitration is possible
– we do it all the time. And that it’s wrong to
2
harm others for such a reason.

3. Cultural Relativism
Cultural Relativism - All (not some) moral values are nothing
more than cultural customs and laws.
(X is right if my culture says that it’s right)

4. Our moral perspective is culturally-embedded
“the very eyes with which see the problem are conditioned
by the long traditional habits of our own society”
With this realization, we can’t confuse the morality of
our own culture with the inevitable morality of human
nature.
Instead, we recognize that morality is different in
every society.
„All morality is a convenient term for socially approved habits‟
“morally good” = “socially habitual”/socially accepted or sanctioned

5. What exactly are the
claims of cultural relativism?
James Rachels
1. Different societies have
different moral codes. 4. The moral code of our own
society has no special status; it
2. The moral code of a society is merely one among many.
determines what is right
within that society; that is, if 5. There is no “universal truth” in
the moral code of a society ethics; that is, there are no
says that a certain action is moral truths that hold for all
right, then that action is peoples at all times.
right, at least within that
society. 6. It is arrogant for us to try to
judge the conduct of other
3. There is no objective peoples. We should adopt an
standard that can be used attitude of tolerance toward
to judge one society’s code the practices of other cultures.
better than another’s

6. The Cultural Differences Argument
GENERAL FORM OF THE ARGUMENT
P1. Different cultures have different moral codes
C. Therefore, there is no objective “truth” in morality. Right and wrong are only matters of
opinion that vary from culture to culture.
P1. The Greeks believed it was wrong to eat the dead, whereas the Callatians believed
is as right to eat the dead.
C. Therefore, eating the dead is neither objectively right nor objectively wrong. It is
merely a matter of opinion that varies from culture to culture.
MACKIE’S ARGUMENT FROM DISAGREEMENT
P1. Different cultures have different moral codes
P2. The best explanation for this fact is that moral judgments merely reflect social custom, rather
than an objective truth.
C. Therefore, we should think that there is no objective “truth” in morality. Right and wrong are
only matters of opinion that vary from culture to culture.
P1. The Eskimos see nothing wrong with infanticide, whereas Americans believe infanticide is
immoral.
C. Therefore, infanticide is neither objectively right nor objectively wrong. It is merely a matter
of opinion, which varies from culture to culture.

7. The consequences of taking
cultural relativism seriously
1. We can’t claim that the
customs of other societies are
morally worse than our own.
1. We can determine whether
actions are right or wrong just
by consulting the standards of
our society.
1. The idea of moral progress
becomes meaningless

8. What does cultural
relativism get right?
 We should not be dogmatic
about our moral beliefs. Many
of our practices are just
cultural/traditional – and we
should not lose sight of this fact.
We should not simply assume
that our own moral norms are
right.
 We should keep an open mind
about moral issues, looking for
reasons that provide evidence
for or against moral norms.

9. What is a culture anyway?

10. Moral disagreement
and moral truth
Moral Nihilism - Every time we make a moral judgment we mean it in
the objective sense. There is, however, no objective moral truth.
Whenever we make a moral judgment, we say something. There are
no moral truths – neither relative nor objective.
MACKIE’S ARGUMENT FROM DISAGREEMENT (revisited)
P1. Different cultures have different moral codes
P2. The best explanation for this fact is that moral judgments merely
reflect social custom, rather than an objective truth.
C. Therefore, we should think that there is no objective “truth” in
morality. Right and wrong are only matters of opinion that vary from
culture to culture.

11. Some alternative explanations of
moral disagreement
1. Contemporary Anthropology
4. The disagreement is actually over
has largely abandoned its
non-moral facts, not a genuinely
traditional relativism. Today it
moral disagreement after all.
holds that cultural differences
are insignificant in comparison
5. The parties are just talking past
with shared similarities
each other in the same way that
we do when we talk about flavor
2. General principles will
preferences.
prescribe different specific
rules in different concrete
6. The disagreement exists because
circumstances.
of a failure of imagination or self-
deception due to other things
3. The disagreeing parties may
people have at stake
actually be arguing about
(power, freedom, money, religiou
different things and so talking
s commitments, etc.)
past each other

12. What best explains this disagreement?
&
 Some liberals
 Some conservative disagree, believing that
Christians believe that there is nothing wrong with
homosexuality is wrong homosexuality. Any
because it is a practice consenting partners can
that God abhors. love and have sex with
whomever they want.

13. What best explains this disagreement?
 These women want
equal treatment – that
both women and men
are treated equally
 Some societies legally or
&
when it comes to right
publically go topless as socially demand that
men do. women show great
modesty in public by
covering their bodies.

14. What best explains this disagreement?
 Most Europeans strongly  Most Americans believe
believe that the death
penalty is inhumane & that justice demands the
death penalty

15. What best explains this disagreement?
&
 Some people believe  Some people believe
that abortions should that abortions should be
be permitted in some or prohibited in some or all
all cases. cases.