Class Notes 1-17-02
Prepared by Linda Lambe

6. What counts as a culture
Social Class
Economic Class
Religion
Politics
Chosen subcultures

7. Professed or Actual Morality
Ideals or behavior?
eg. Adultery

*Anyway of drawing the line between cultural groups seems arbitrary.


Pojman-Emotivism
If it is possible to have false beliefs about Math, Science, and History etc.. isn't it possible to have them about Ethics?

Objection: Not everyone agrees about ethics.
Reply: Not everyone agrees on Science, history etc..
Objection: You can't prove ethical statements.
Reply: Maybe we can prove them by intuition

a priori-something apart from your experience
a posteriori-based on experience

When you learn through demonstration you might change your opinion.

Pojman

Diversity Thesis: Different Cultures believe different things about ethics.
Empirical claim(A posterior)

Dependency Thesis: Morality depends on and is defined by each cultures is majority belief. )Pojman agrees this thesis is wrong) Conventionalisms is cultural relativism.
*absolutism is not the same as eurocentrism.

*Reading on cultures and beliefs: Cows, Pigs Witches and Wars - Harris