Relativism or Absolutism

Absolutism and Relativism

Absolutism is the application of objective standards in making a moral ethical judgment. This strategy’s main tenet is that some things are always correct while other things are always wrong. (Runkle, 1976). Kantian ethics serves as an excellent illustration of absolutism. According to this perspective, a moral individual always complies with inner guidance. Only a maxim that meets the criteria for being a general law should be followed. For instance, before stealing a car, a person should consider whether doing so merits becoming a universal rule that all people must abide by. In this case, the answer will be no because the society is not prepared to deal or embrace such deviations from the norms.<\/p>

Relativism and Cultural Differences

Relativism is the belief that nothing is intrinsically wrong or right (Portmore, 2005). An example of relativism is the tolerance to the divergent religious beliefs that are held by different communities in the world. Besides, the freedom of speech falls into this category due to the argument that real absolute truths are utopic. Relativism and absolutism are experienced differently in cultures. Absolutes come out as intolerant and would condemn a mother stealing food to feed her hungry children. In the same setting, a relativist would let the mother go scot-free because her actions were right and therefore not worth condemning.<\/p>

Peer Perspectives on Absolutism and Relativism

A review of peer’s work gives more insight into the two concepts. One student considered murder as the topic of analysis in bringing out the meaning of the two concepts. The choice was good because introduced the idea of moral absolutism, which considers murder as being completely wrong (Jackson, 2006). Comparatively, the murder would be acceptable when considering the consequences under relativism. Another student used the example of animal sacrifice for religious purposes. Absolutists consider this as an act of cruelty to the animal that should be stopped. Relativists appreciate the importance of the sacrifice hence no condemnations.<\/p>

References

Jackson, Frank, and Michael Smith. “Absolutist moral theories and uncertainty.” The Journal of philosophy 103.6 (2006): 267-269.

Portmore, Douglas W. “Combining teleological ethics with evaluator relativism: a promising result.” Pacific Philosophical Quarterly 86.1 (2005): 95-96.

Runkle, Gerald. “Is Violence Always Wrong?” The Journal of Politics 38.2 (1976): 367.