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Sidgwick is asking the group to formulate a definition of ethical relativism or moral relativism. It is important to keep in mind that there is nothing approaching an agreed on the definition of these terms.

Not only do anthropologists and philosophers stress different kinds of questions, but philosophers differ among themselves. They sometimes think of relativism in very different ways. For example:

• Moral relativism can be thought of as an epistemological thesis about what it is possible for us to know. Can we have moral knowledge? Is moral knowledge the same as or different from scientific knowledge, mathematical knowledge, or other kinds of knowledge?
• Moral relativism can be thought of as a metaphysical thesis about the status of values in the universe. Are values "built into" the universe? Are they a divine creation? A human creation? Something else?
• Moral relativism can be thought of as a linguistic thesis about the meaning of certain key terms. Does "X is good" mean "X is socially approved" or something similar?