Introduction to Philosophy

Week Four

Morality: Objective, Relative or Emotive?

Dr. Matthew Chrisman

Empirical JudgmentsThe earth and other planets rotate around sun.

There are + and - electrical charges.

Some traits in plants are genetically inherited.

The so-called “God” particle is real.

6 feet = 72 inches

Empirical Judgments

Lead is heavier than iron.

It was sunny in Edinburgh today.

I am less than 6 feet tall.

Moral Judgments

Giving to charity is morally good.

Taking care of your children is morally required.

Protesting injustice is morally right.

Moral Judgments

Cain killing Abel out of jealousy was morally wrong.

Oedipus sleeping with his mother was morally bad.

Genocide is morally abhorent.

Polygamy is morally dubious

A. Are they the sorts of judgments that can be true or false – or are they mere opinion?

B. If they can be true/false, what makes them true/false?

C. If they are true, are they objectively true?

Empirical Judgments Moral Judgments

1. The earth rotates around the sun.2. It was sunny in Edinburgh today.

3. Genocide is morally abhorrent.4. Polygamy is morally dubious.

Three questions about these judgments:

Two ExamplesGenocide is morally abhorrent.Polygamy is morally dubious.

Three QuestionsA. Are they the sorts of judgments that can be true or false

– or are they mere opinion?

B. If they can be true/false, what makes them true/false?

C. If they are true, are they objectively true?

ObjectivismBasic idea: our moral judgments are the sorts of things that can be true or false, and what makes them true or false are facts that are generally independent of who we are or what cultural groups we belong to – they are objective moral facts.

“The earth rotates around the sun.”• Capable of being true/false.• Made true by relative trajectory of earth and sun.• Objectively true.

“Genocide is morally wrong.”Objectivism:•Capable of being true/false.•Made true by wrongness of genocide.•Objectively true.

“Polygamy is morally dubious.”Objectivism:•Capable of being true/false.•Made true/false by the morality of polygamy.•Objectively true.

RelativismBasic idea: our moral judgments are indeed true or false, but they’re only true or false relative to something that can vary between people.

“One must drive on the left.”• Capable of being true/false• Made true by laws in force in particular jurisdictions• True relative to jurisdiction

“Polygamy is morally dubious.”Relativism:•Capable of being true/false.•Made true by particular subjective feelings.•True relative to personal feelings.

“Oedipus’ sleeping with his mother was morally bad.”

Relativism:•Capable of being true/false.•Made true by particular subjective feelings.•True relative to personal feelings.

SubjectivismA form of Relativism

Basic idea: our moral judgments are indeed true or false, but they’re only true or false relative to the subjective feelings of the person who makes them. “X is bad” = “I dislike X”

“Okra is yummy.”Subjectivism:•Capable of being true/false.•Made true by particular subjective feelings.•True relative to personal feelings.

Cultural RelativismA form of Relativism

Basic idea: our moral judgments are indeed true or false, but they’re only true or false relative to the culture of the person who makes them. “X is bad” = “X is disapproved of in my culture.”

“Polygamy is morally dubious.”Cultural Relativism:•Capable of being true/false.•Made true by marriage customs in particular cultures.•True relative to cultures.

EmotivismBasic idea: moral judgments are neither objectively true/false nor relatively true/false. They’re direct expressions of our emotive reactions.

“Okra is gross.”Emotivism:•Not capable of being true/false.•Direct expression of emotive reaction.

“Polygamy is morally dubious.”Emotivism:•Not capable of being true/false.•Direct expression of emotive reaction.

Three Questions about Moral Judgments

A. Are they the sorts of judgments that can be true or false – or are they mere opinion?

B. If they can be true/false, what makes them true/false?

C. If they are true, are they objectively true?

Three Approaches to these Questions

ObjectivismBasic idea: our moral judgments are the sorts of things that can be true or false, and what makes them true or false are facts that are generally independent of who we are or what cultural groups we belong to – they are objective moral facts.

Three Approaches to these Questions

Objectivism

Basic idea: our moral judgments are indeed true or false, but they’re only true or false relative to something that can vary between people.

Relativism

Three Approaches to these Questions

Objectivism

Basic idea: moral judgments are neither objectively true/false nor relatively true/false. They’re direct expressions of our emotive reactions

Relativism

Emotivism

Morality: Objective, Relative or Emotive?

Three Approaches to the Status of Morality:

Objectivism

Relativism

Emotivism

Compare: empirical judgments about the world.

Compare: judgments about what’s legal.

Compare: Boo for that! Hooray for this!

Objectivism

Challenge:

Important difference between •how we determine whether something’s morally right/wrong•how we determine whether an empirical claim is true/false.

Can Objectivists explain this intuitive difference?

Basic idea: our moral judgments are the sorts of things that can be true or false, and what makes them true or false are facts that are generally independent of who we are or what cultural groups we belong to – they are objective moral facts.

Relativism

Challenge:

It seems like there’s such a thing as moral progress.

Can Relativists explain this possibility?

Basic idea: our moral judgments are indeed true or false, but they’re only true or false relative to something that can vary between people.

Emotivism

Challenge:

It seems like we can use reason to arrive at our moral judgments like we use reason to arrive at our empirical judgments.

But how can Emotivists explain this intuitive similarity?

Basic idea: moral judgments are neither objectively true/false nor relatively true/false. They’re direct expressions of our emotive reactions.

Three Approaches to the Status of Morality:

Objectivism

Relativism

Emotivism

Challenge: explain difference in method of determining what the facts are.

Challenge: explain possibility of moral progress.

Challenge: explain possibility of using reason to answer moral questions.