Exploring Ethics (Cahn): Rachels--Cultural Relativism

1. Cultural Relativism (Rachels)

2. From last class… • Belief in God as a moral being has no bearing on human morality. • Euthyphro dilemma • (Response?) Theology as a basis for knowing God’s good.

3. …to this class • Just because there are moral differences between cultures does not entail that there is no objective morality. • Evolutionary psychology as a basis for difference and sameness. • No rational basis for morality. • Must be non-dogmatic about ALL moral and social practices.

4. Is morality objective? NO! Cultural Differences Argument (CDA) • Different cultures have different moral codes. • Therefore, there is no objective “truth” in morality.

5. Cultural Differences Argument (CDA) Premise 1: Different cultures have different moral codes. • Callatians eat dead fathers/Greeks burn dead fathers • Eskimos practice infanticide/Americans protect all infants. • Evangelicals discriminate against homosexual behavior/Seculars affirm it CONCLUSION: there is no objective “truth” in morality. WHAT OTHER CONCLUSION IS POSSIBLE FROM THESE FACTS????

6. Objections to CDA: INVALID ARGUMENT • There is other possible conclusions from Premise (1): a) One society could have moral truth, and all others are morally false. (Rachel) • Protecting all babies might actually be moral. So, Eskimos are wrong. b) One cannot derive what one should do from what one does (Kant) c) Perhaps all societies lack the knowledge to obtain moral truth, which exists independent of their knowledge of it. (Socrates/Glenney?)

7. Possible Response (?) • Morality is “live” and thus can only be practiced if believed as absolutely true. • To believe something as true makes it true. (Glaucon, Nietzsche, etc.) • Hence, differing social moralities are each true. • Support for (2) Might makes right: whomever has the most cultural/political power determines what is morally right. • E.g. the quick shift from DOMA to Marriage equality was determined by social/political power not by a sudden realization of moral truth.

8. More Problems with CDA • No objective measure to judge the moral “size” of other societies (particularly of the past) that we deem to be exemplars of immorality. • If Society is the measure of judging moral “size,” then every society can self-justify their behavior. • No objective way to measure moral “progress” in society. Similar problems occur with any “relative” or “relational” measure: tallness, attractiveness, popularity, wealth, strength

9. Response To Problems: All societies operate with a relative measure of morality!!! Glenney/Socrates Response C: Perhaps all societies lack the knowledge to obtain moral truth, which exists independent of their knowledge of it. Part 2: If no society can perfectly determine moral truth, then every society operates in accordance with their best discernment of moral truth. Hence, these “problems” are endemic to the belief in Objective Morality as well as CDA. In sum, no one can justifiably judge any other society’s moral size, every society self-justifies, and no one can judge moral progress.

10. Back to the Facts! Premise 1: Different cultures have different moral codes. • Callatians eat dead fathers/Greeks burn dead fathers • Eskimos practice infanticide/Americans protect all infants. • Evangelicals discriminate against homosexual behavior/Seculars affirm it. Are these true to fact?

11. Back to the Facts! Premise 1: Different cultures have different moral codes. • Callatians eat dead fathers/Greeks burn dead fathers • Eskimos practice infanticide/Americans protect all infants. • Evangelicals discriminate against homosexual behavior/Seculars affirm it. Are these true to fact? YES!

12. Back to the Facts! Premise 1: Different cultures have different moral codes. • Callatians eat dead fathers/Greeks burn dead fathers • Eskimos practice infanticide/Americans protect all infants. • American eat cows/ Indians do not eat cows. Are these moral facts?

13. Back to the Facts! Premise 1: Different cultures have different moral codes. • Callatians eat dead fathers/Greeks burn dead fathers • Eskimos practice infanticide/Americans protect all infants. • American eat cows/ Indians do not eat cows. Are these moral facts? NO!

14. Facts need context • Callatians eat dead fathers as a burial rite that maximizes respect as they have a religious belief that a body continues to house the wisdom of the person. • Eskimos live a survivalist lifestyle and do to associated pragmatic problems, they must mitigate infant survival. • Female Eskimos have little sexual independence. So, they must regulate population intentionally. In particular, they must assure a greater survival rate for male infants. • Indians do not eat cows due to a religious belief that cows may be ancestors.

15. Sidebar: Evolutionary Basis for Moral Meat? Meat Paradox 1) Humans love animals. 2) Humans eat animals. 3) Humans cannot both love and eat the same thing. 4) Thus, humans live in contradiction about animals.

16. Sidebar: Evolutionary Basis for Moral Meat? Meat Paradox 1) Humans love animals. 2) Humans eat animals. 3*) Humans CAN both love and eat the same thing. 4) Thus, humans live in contradiction about animals. Basis of (3*): Meat is the most efficient source of protein. So, by processes of physical and social evolution, humans developed a cognitive adaptive strategy of “dissonance” (acting differently that one believes) that allows for meat consumption and hence eating meat is not in contradiction to loving animals.

17. Common Values “There are some moral rules that all societies will have in common, because those rules are necessary for society to exist.” E.g. Society requires efficient protein for consumption. So, almost all human societies eat animals while also loving animals (particularly as animals partner with humans to create the means for acquiring meat).

18. “Truths” (ironically) of Cultural Relativism • We cannot assume our values will be shared by other cultures. We must remain open to the possibility that OUR values are not “normal” (E.g. Our language and accent and not ‘universal’). Cue Sara Palin joke (I wish we could all just speak American!) • We can protect ourselves from dogmatic belief by investigating other cultural values. One manner in which we can mature as ethical beings is by traveling to other cultures (not by ‘touring’ other countries), and observing and enjoying their practices and values.