Moral relativism

In philosophy, Moral relativism is the position that moral or ethical propositions do not reflect absolute or universal truths but instead are relative to social, cultural, historical or personal references, and that there is no single standard by which to assess an ethical proposition's truth. Relativistic positions often see moral values as applicable only within certain cultural boundaries or the context of individual preferences. An extreme relativist position might suggest that it is meaningless for the moral or ethical judgments or acts of one person or group to be judged by another, though most relativists propound a more limited version of the theory.

Related Topics:
Philosophy - Moral - Ethical - Absolute - Universal - Social - Cultural - Historical - Person - Values

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Some moral relativists — for example, the existentialist Jean-Paul Sartre — hold that a personal and subjective moral core lies or ought to lie at the foundation of individuals' moral acts. In this view, public morality is a reflection of social convention, and that only personal, subjective morality is truly authentic.

Related Topics:
Existentialist - Jean-Paul Sartre - Subjective - Moral core - Morality

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Moral relativism is not the same as moral pluralism, or value pluralism, which acknowledges the co-existence of opposing ideas and practices, but does not require that they be equally valid. Moral relativism, in contrast, contends that opposing moral positions have no truth value, and that there is no preferred standard of reference by which to judge them.

Related Topics:
Pluralism - Value pluralism

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