28Jun10 A Difference of Ethical Systems
By: Barry Belmont

I had a teacher today claim, with a straight face, that there is no such thing as right and wrong answers to questions of morality.

  • She purported that there is no significant difference in the overall well-being of people in Sweden as opposed to those of Rwanda.
  • She claimed that a suicide bomber is morally on par with a doctor who gives regularly to charities.
  • She said Jeffrey Dahmer and the Dalai Lama have the same ethical merit.
  • She actually believes that a precept like “do not rape children” is culturally specific and cannot legitimately be claimed as a universally correct moral opinion.
  • She feels men should be allowed to treat women like property if they are in the right part of the globe.

I have never been more disgusted by the pseudo-intellectual tradition of relativism.

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View Comments Posted by Barry Belmont in Irrational
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  • http://unrforliberty.com/ John Russell

    Disgusting…

  • N.Roys.

    We have a few friends who argued that very point against my notion that ethics are more universal than that… I actually gave in because I couldn't remember my proper arguments against relativism… never again.

  • Mrencyclopedia

    Put a gun to her head and threaten to pull the trigger. Let's see what her view of right and wrong is then.

  • Keabag

    Is this what moral relativism means? I've heard moral objectivism described as basically: if something is wrong in one situation its wrong in all situations. But that of course is wrong also because of the whole lying to Nazis about hiding Jews argument. So what do you call yourself if both of these seem bullshit?

  • Andrew Hickey

    If moral relativism seems like bullshit, and you are wondering where you stand in terms of Ethics, this series is immensely helpful, comprehensive, and free (or maybe you guys would prefer “free”):

    http://www.justiceharvard.org/

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