Notes: Ethics. Thurs. Jan. 17, 2002.

Counter-arguments for relativism:
6. What is culture?
Social class?
Economic class?
Religion?
Politics?
Chosen sub-cultures?

Any way of drawing a line between culture groups seems arbitrary.

7. Professed or actual morality?
eg: Adultery is professed to be immoral but is a rather common practice.

8.It is also possible to have false beliefs about math or science (eg. 2+2=5), history, etc. Isn't it possible to have them about morality/ethics?

Objection: Not everyone agrees on statements of morality.
Reply: Not everyone agrees on statements of scientific, mathematical or historical truths.

Objection: You can't prove ethical statements.
Reply: Maybe we can by intuition.

Pojman's critique of cultural relativism:

Rational people can make ethical decisions. We are not just creatures of habit nor products of our environment.

According to Pojman: Conventionalism equals relativism.

The rejection of relativism will bring us to universalism.

(a priori: apart from experience)
(a posteriori: based on experience)

An absolutist could accept Pojman's Diversity Thesis: Different cultures believe different things about ethics.
(emperical claim/a posteriori)

They may not agree with his Dependency Thesis: Morality depends on and is defined by each cultures majority beliefs.

At this time it is important to point out that absolutism is not equal to Euro-centrism.

Read for Tuesday, Jan. 22nd: Rosenstand 127-140.