Intro to Ethics - Moral Skepticism

Midterm

Cultural relativism

Morality is relative to one's culture. No truly
objective moral truths.

Morally permissible

Only if it is allowed by the guiding ideals of the society in which it is performed.

Argument against relativism

Permits intolerance – or worse – in cultures with
intolerant norms (e.g. slavery) and it makes cultures morally infallible. (Since they define what is right, can never be wrong).

Ethical Egoism

We have no moral duties to others. A person’s only duty is to look after himself/herself.

Psychological Egoism

The view that all human actions are
motivated by self-interest, and that altruism is impossible (Whenever you do something, you are motivated by your strongest desire. Whenever you are motivated by your strongest desire, you
are pursuing your self-interest).

Argument against Psychological Egosim

The fact that you are moved by your own desires says nothing about the particular content of your desires. Some of your desires may aim at others’ well-being.

Error Theory

There are no moral features in this world. No moral judgments are true. There is no moral knowledge. Based on the idea that morality is an illusion, and that moral judgments are actually projections of our own feelings, wants, and demands onto the world. A false belief in categorical reasons.

Argument against Error Theory

There are some situations that do require us to intervene regardless if we want to (Example: On your walk to work, you see smoke and flames coming from a downtown apartment building. You have reason to call 911).

Categorical reasons

Reasons that apply to us regardless of
whether acting on them gets us what we want. There are no categorical reasons. If you have no desire whatsoever to do act A, then you simply have no reason to do A.