Dictatorship of Relativism pt.2

What’s Wrong with Relativism?

1. No Sense of Meaning

  • Sense of Meaning Crisis:

    • The absence of a firm sense of purpose results in despair or leads individuals to avoid life's crucial questions through constant distractions.

    • This crisis reflects a societal impact where there is a notable lack of direction and purpose in life.

2. No Standard for Morality Beyond Personal Taste

  • Moral Standards:

    • Relativism lacks an absolute standard beyond personal tastes for moral decisions, leading to varying interpretations of right and wrong.

    • There are no objective truths that govern behavior; thus, moral decisions can be arbitrary and subjective.

  • Relativist Moral Compass:

    • This moral framework is seen as intrinsically selfish, driven purely by individual desires and feelings rather than any collective ethical understanding.

3. Deprives Children of Moral Formation

  • Impact on Children:

    • Relativism deprives children of essential moral guidance, which is critical for their development.

    • An absence of acceptance accompanied by guidance may lead to ethics that are detached from truth, contributing to moral abandonment in youth.

  • Example - Driver’s Education:

    • A flawed relativist approach to child-rearing can be illustrated in driver’s education:

    • If an instructor disregards traffic rules, like the significance of yellow lines, because they aim to be “loving” and “accepting,” it can have dangerous repercussions for the child.

4. Separates Us from One Another

  • Divisive Impact:

    • Relativism contributes to a divisive society where connections between people can deteriorate.

  • Unity and Shared Values:

    • True unity among individuals stems from shared ideals, principles, and traditions.

    • The erosion of common values through relativism threatens the cohesion of communities and, by extension, the fabric of a nation.

5. Undermines the Right to Life

  • Human Rights Foundations:

    • Human rights are more secure when they are based on objective principles rather than subjective interpretations.

    • A society that ignores objective moral assertions risks placing human rights in danger, making them contingent upon the values and whims of those in authority.

6. Makes It Easy for Those in Authority to Manipulate Others

  • Manipulation and Historical Context:

    • The Founding Fathers, who were grounded in objective truth, demonstrated resilience against manipulation.

    • They viewed rights as "inalienable" moral facts, deeply rooted in human nature, opposing any relativistic interpretations that could enable manipulation by authorities.

7. Puts Freedom of Speech Under Attack

  • Objective Truth vs. Subjective Beliefs:

    • In fields such as math and science, the principles are emotionally neutral and universally regarded as objectively true.

    • However, religious truths are often labeled as subjective and may be viewed as potentially offensive.

  • Challenges for Institutions:

    • The ability to express religious truths is perceived as an attack by some, which complicates the mission for religious institutions, such as the Catholic Church, to effectively teach traditional ethics.

8. Destroys Faith

  • Perception of Objectivity:

    • There exists a belief that only scientifically verifiable concepts are objectively true, relegating everything else to the categories of "subjectively true" or mere opinion.

  • Trust Issues:

    • This perspective diminishes room for genuine trust, as individuals feel compelled to prove all truths rather than accepting them on faith alone.