Ariadne's Thread on Ethical Relativism
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Ayesha

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Relativism: for and Against

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John Speaking
Let's suppose that we had two groups of people using different sets of moral rules. For one group it might work out that polygamy is good. For the other group it might work out that polygamy is wrong. Both judgments could be true in relation to different sets of rules.

I think that Wong wants to say that in this sort of case there is no logical conflict between the two moral judgments. Instead, he describes the conflict as pragmatic. I think by that he means that the two judgments, although both true in our sense, conflict in that they cannot both be acted upon in the same case.

I think Wong's view makes sense for specific moral judgments like this one about whether polygamy is wrong. But what about Ayesha's question? Wong's view makes reference to rules or what we have called principles. What about them? What would it mean to say that rules or principles are true or false?

Take the principle professor Sidgwick mentioned: "It is morally wrong to kill innocent human beings." Can we say anything about it?


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