Foundations of Morality and Ethics

Understanding Relativism

Cultural and Moral Relativism

Cultural Relativism claims that good and evil are relative to each culture, so the same value can be both good and bad. Moral Relativism is the claim that every moral system acquires meaning internally, and there is no objective value across different systems.

The Relativist Outlook

Relativism, as an outlook, can lead towards moral indifference, the negation of all values, and therefore also to the denial of ethical tolerance.

Universalism: Seeking Moral Truth

Universalism maintains that there is a good and a bad, defending that there is only one valid moral code. It posits that a regulation cannot be right or wrong depending on circumstances or cultures. The difference between relativism and universalism is that universalism invites us to search for moral truth.

Ethnocentrism: Judging Other Cultures

Ethnocentrism is the act of understanding, judging, or evaluating another culture or social group in accordance with the standards and values of one's own culture or group. It is a mechanism that creates affection, loyalty, or feelings toward one's own group, including attributes that foster pride. However, it can lead to judging other societies as inferior to one's own.

Other Bases for Morality

Theological Foundations

A theological basis can serve as a moral guideline if it responds to God. Monotheistic religions advocate the existence of one God, defending the existence of a single, valid moral code.

Nature and the Naturalistic Fallacy

Nature has been an inspiration for artists and intellectuals, serving as a model of beauty and goodness. The Naturalistic Fallacy is the unjustified leap between what is and what should be.

Morality, Legality, and Human Value

The basis of law is sometimes founded on values, acting as a resource external to the instance itself. A moral equivalence can be drawn between morality and legality, where what is good simply marks the moral law. If the basis for guiding moral valuation is human life, it should be found in man and his acts, based on his own ethical foundations.

Ethical Theories and Goals

Teleological Ethics: The Pursuit of Goals

Teleological ethical foundations seek to justify the moral order based on the point or goal we intend to reach. What we want to achieve is happiness in life. Reflection focuses on the dispute over what makes the individual happy and what is the best way to achieve it.

Rationality and Happiness

Rationality considers that what makes us happier is what differentiates us from other creatures.

Hedonism: The Pursuit of Pleasure

Hedonism suggests one must dedicate oneself to pleasure.