Customs and Ethical Relativism

1
Customs and Ethical Relativism Ethical Relativism
is the view that values are relative to and
reducible to conventions, customs or laws. It is
right because the customs say it is right.
Ethical relativism looks like encouraging the
virtue of tolerance of differences among
different groups, but it has limits. Ethical
relativism might seem attractive because it is
easily confused with other view that are
plausible. 1. Descriptive relativism is a
statement that beliefs and attitudes about values
differ from culture to culture. 2. Ethical
relationalism means moral judgement should be
made in relation to factors that can vary from
case to case. Those factors include customs,
conventions, and codes. 3. Ethical pluralism
means that customs can have great moral
significance in deciding how we should act.
2
Religion and Divine Command Ethics There are
important connections between morality and
religion in the lives of many people. 1. They are
related historically. 2. For many people, there
are important psychological connections between
moral and religious beliefs. Religious faith and
hope imply trust trust that we can receive
insight into what should govern right action and
can be sustained in that action. 3. Religions
sometimes set a higher moral standard than is
conventional. Many religions emphasise particular
ideals of character, e.g Christianity centres on
the virtues of hope, faith and love Buddhism
emphasises compassion, Judaism on virtue of
tzedakah (righteousness) and Islam on ihsan
(translated as either piety or the pursuit of
excellence). Divine command ethics claims that an
act is right simply means it is commanded by God,
and it is wrong if forbidden by God.
3
Self-Interest and Ethical Egoism Ethical egoism
is a view that attempts to reduce moral values to
self-interest. Ethical is a theory about morality
and egoism is about sole duty of each individual
in maximising his/her own good (well being,
happiness). Psychological Egoism Psychological
egoism is a view that believes that people are
psychologically incapable of caring about anyone
but themselves. People are only motivated by what
they believe is good for themselves in some
respect. Predominant egoism is a view that the
strongest desires for most people most of the
time is self-seeking. Mixed motives is a
combination of self-concern and concern for
others. Compensation and Self-Interest Compensatio
n values, such as money, power, and recognition,
can be pursued for the good of others, and play a
major role in motivating and guiding human
conduct.