Ethical Relativism and Moral Common Ground

Flashcards reviewing key concepts from Chapter 1 through Chapter 6 on ethical relativism, universal moral values, fallibilism, and cultural interpretations.

How are ethical relativism and cultural relativism treated in this class?

Ethical relativism and cultural relativism are treated as roughly equivalent and used interchangeably for the purposes of this class.

How is ethics defined in the lecture?

Ethics is defined as the study and pursuit of the good life, which involves figuring out what counts as a good life and then figuring out how to achieve it to make lives better.

What is a philosophical argument according to Chapter 1?

A philosophical argument is the exchanging of beliefs that are supported by reasons to try to find the best possible solution.

How do opinions differ from arguments in ethics?

Opinions are just beliefs without any supporting reasons associated with them, whereas arguments provide reasons to enable agreement.

What are the two requirements of a philosophical argument?

The two requirements are to listen and to be willing to change our minds.

What is fallibilism?

Fallibilism is the belief that everyone has the capacity to be wrong, meaning all people are fallible.

What is the first definition of relativism provided in Chapter 1?

Relativism is the belief that there are no aspects of the good life on which people can agree.

What definition of relativism does Rachel's provide?

Rachel's provides the definition that relativism is the belief that there are no objective moral values.

What do the terms objective and universal mean in the lecture?

Objective means that something is the same for all people (such as $2 + 2 = 4$), while universal means that it applies to all people all the time.

What is the third definition of cultural or ethical relativism given in Chapter 2?

It is the belief that there is no ethical or moral common ground from which people can work when trying to pursue the good life.

Where did relativism originate historically, and what positive motivation started it?

Relativism originated from anthropologists coming out of colonialist empires visiting different cultures, and it was motivated by tolerance.

Why does relativism ultimately fail as a practical idea?

Relativism fails because without moral common ground, people cannot cooperate or work together to achieve goals and pursue the good life.

What primary argument does Rachel's make to explain why relativism fails?

Rachel's argues that relativism fails because there are indeed universal moral values shared by all people in every culture.

What three universal moral values does Rachel's identify?

The three universal values identified by Rachel's are: do not kill, do not lie, and protect the young.

From what fields do the three universal moral values originate?

They originate from biology and sociology.

Why is a prohibition against killing required for a culture to survive?

Without a prohibition against killing, people would kill each other out of anger until human beings wiped themselves out entirely.

Why is 'do not lie' a necessary universal value?

Because humans are social people who must communicate to exist socially, and lying breaks down communication.

Why is 'protect the young' considered a universal value?

Human babies are incapable of taking care of themselves and cannot survive without help, making protection necessary for a culture to reproduce and survive.

How does the transcript explain differences in behavior across cultures if moral values are universal?

Cultures share universal moral values as common ground, but they interpret these values differently to get their actual rules for behavior and practices.

What lesson did the lecturer learn at age seven regarding the commandment 'do not kill'?

Her mother explained that the commandment 'do not kill' does not apply to mosquitoes.

According to the transcript, who cannot be killed in The United States?

Innocent humans, pets, live game out of season or without a license, endangered species, and noncombatants during war.

Under what conditions or rules does The United States permit killing?

The United States permits killing capital crime convicts (in some states), fetuses (via state-regulated abortion laws), owned livestock, vermin, insects, and pets undergoing euthanasia at the end of life.

How do rules regarding the death penalty and abortion compare between The United States, France, and Saudi Arabia?

The United States permits the death penalty in some states and allows abortion to a certain extent; France prohibits the death penalty but allows abortion; Saudi Arabia permits the death penalty but prohibits abortion.

What is meant by the phrase 'the devil is in the details' when finding moral common ground?

It means that while it is easy to say theoretically that common ground exists, it becomes very difficult in practice to trace specific issues back to common ground at the negotiating table.