PHIL 2103 Lecture Notes - Lecture 19: Moral Realism, Moral Relativism, Dogma
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Arguments against ethical objectivism
• View that contrasts against: ethical relativism
• Nine arguments considered:
o Absolutism
1. If moral claims are objectively true, then moral rules are absolute
• Absolute=no exceptions
2. No moral rule is absolute
3. Therefore, moral claims are not objectively true
o Objective truths
1. There are no objective truths
• There are truths, ex the earth is round
• Also, if this is true, it would also make it false
2. Therefore, there are no objective moral truths
o Equal rights
1. If everyone has an equal right to an opinion, then all opinions are equally
plausible
• Just because everyone has an equal right to an opinion, does not mean
they are equally plausible; ex someone could think the earth is flat and
another that the earth is round, one is way more plausible than the
other
2. Everyone has an equal right to his or her moral opinions
3. Therefore, all moral opinions are equally plausible
4. If all moral opinions are equally plausible, then ethical objectivism is false
5. Therefore, ethical objectivism is false
o Dogmatism
1. If there are objective moral standards, then this makes dogmatism acceptable
• You can have your believes and also hear other arguments and not
totally close yourself off
2. Dogmatism is unacceptable
3. Therefore, there are no objective moral standards
o Tolerance
1. Tolerance is valuable only if the moral views of different people are equally
plausible
• Ca still tolerate thigs eve if I persoally do’t agree
• Not everything is equally plausible
2. If ethical objectivism is true, then the moral views of different people are not
equally plausible
3. Therefore, if ethical objectivism is true, then tolerance is not valuable
o Cultural differences
o Disagreement
1. If well-informed, open-minded, rational people persistently disagree about
some claim, then that claim is not objectively true.
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