Varying versions of moral relativism: the philosophy and psychology of normative relativism
نویسندگان
چکیده
Among naturalist philosophers, both defenders and opponents of moral relativism argue that prescriptive moral theories (or normative theories) should be constrained by empirical findings about human psychology. Empiricists have asked if people are or can be moral relativists, and what effect being a moral relativist can have on an individual’s moral functioning. This research is underutilized in philosophers’ normative theories of relativism; at the same time, the empirical work, while useful, is conceptually disjointed. Our goal is to integrate philosophical and empirical work on constraints on normative relativism. First, we present a working definition of moral relativism. Second, we outline naturalist versions of normative relativism, and third, we highlight the empirical constraints in this reasoning. Fourth, we discuss recent studies in moral psychology that are relevant for the philosophy of moral relativism. We assess here what conclusions for moral relativism can and cannot be drawn from experimental studies. Finally, we suggest how moral philosophers and moral psychologists can collaborate on the topic of moral relativism in the future.
منابع مشابه
Paradox and Relativism
Since the time of Plato, relativism has been attacked as a self-refuting theory. Today, there are two basic kinds of argument that are used to show that global relativism is logically incoherent: first, a direct descendent of the argument Plato uses against Protagoras, called the peritrope; and, second, a more recent argument that relativism leads to an infinite regress. Although some relativis...
متن کاملRespect for cultural diversity and the empirical turn in bioethics: a plea for caution
In the last two decades, there have been numerous calls for a culturally sensitive bioethics. At the same time, bioethicists have become increasingly involved in empirical research, which is a sign of dissatisfaction with the analytic methods of traditional bioethics. In this article, I will argue that although these developments have broadened and enriched the field of bioethics, they can easi...
متن کاملMoral philosophies of marketing managers: A cpmparison of American, Australian, and Malaysian cultures
A recent article pointed out that `̀ past research has paid relatively little attention to the sources of individuals’ moral philosophies from either a conceptual or an empirical standpoint’’ and investigated the determinants of idealism and relativism among American marketers. A literature review indicates that there is even less theoretical and empirical crosscultural investigation of moral ph...
متن کاملA Study and Critique of Moral Liberalism Based on perspective "Existence of pure connection” Mulla Sadra
Moral liberalism is based on the separation of moral values from reality and emphasizes that the criterion of moral-value is the "person himself". In liberal ethics, one's happiness depends on himself and moral values have a relative meaning. According to Mulla Sadra, the process of creation in the arch of descent is based on manifestation and the effects are the pure connection to the cause an...
متن کامل