2/10/14

1
!"#$%&' )
*&+#,-./0
Mlchael lgnaue: Clobal LLhlc(s)
b. 1947
Can we agree upon a
global eLhlc amld
dlverslLy?
ls global eLhlc(s)
slngular or plural?
Pow do we deal wlLh
rellglon?
lgnaue: Crluclze 8ellglous and oLher
AuLhorlues
8ellglons are obllged Lo
[usufy Lhemselves
ulscard Lhe ldea LhaL
rellglously based moral
vlews are superlor
dlscard Lhe ldea LhaL any
one value Lrumps anoLher
by vlrLue of lLs assoclauon
wlLh any klnd of auLhorlLy."
lgnaue: Common 8eason and
Adversarlal !usucauon
Adversarlal !usucauon: Lo argue
and persuade ln open dlscusslon
ln a globallzed world, Lhe facL of
adversarlal [usucauon ls
unavoldable because Lhe
parucular and Lhe unlversal do
noL llve ln dlsconnecLed bell [ars"
lgnaue: Lxample of lCC
lCC: lemale CenlLal
Cumng" (lCM)
noL abouL mlsslonary
converslon away from
polygamy or paLrlarchy
8uL shorL Lerm, local, and
llmlLed dlscusslon
lgnaue: racucal balance beLween
Clobal and Local
Clobal = vlew from nowhere"
Local = vlew from
somewhere"
ulalogue (#1-&'/#'.#+
23/,45#,67) balances Lhese
Can Lhere be a common
sLandard agreed Lo by all,
from whlch Lo begln Lhe
dlalogue?
2/10/14
2
ChapLer 3: roblem of 8elauvlsm
Lhe purpose of sLudylng eLhlcs
ls Lo lmprove one's ablllLy Lo
make good eLhlcal [udgmenLs. lf
eLhlcal relauvlsm were Lrue,
Lhen Lhls purpose could noL be
achleved" (26)

Coal/uream of ndlng an
answer Lo Lhe relauvlsLs
skepucal challenge.
8uL whaL ls Lhe answer.?
uescrlpuve 8elauvlsm
As a descrlpuve facL, relauvlsm appears Lo be
Lrue: lL ls evldenL LhaL Lhere are dlerenL ldeas
abouL eLhlcs aL large ln Lhe world" (47)
when ln 8ome do as Lhe 8omans do"
lL ls prudenL Lo go along" wlLh local cusLoms
Lspeclally when Lhese are mlnor and
unlmporLanL
8u1: golng along does noL lmply approval or
accepLance of Lhe valldlLy of Lhese cusLoms
Anu: someumes golng along can be
supporuve of pernlclous cusLoms
Pow far would you go along?
Slavery?
lemale genlLal muulauon?
Chlld sacrlce?
Cannlballsm?
MeLaeLhlcal 8elauvlsm
Lhere are no unlversal or
ob[ecuve norms"

Cr human belngs cannoL
know such ob[ecuve values
Skepuclsm
Cb[ecuvlsm (non-relauvlsm)
1here are ob[ecuvely rlghL and wrong
Lhlngs
Clalms abouL eLhlcs can be Lrue or false
Clalms abouL eLhlcs are llke clalms
abouL Lhe naLural world
!"# %&'()* '+,-. ./#
0'.-"'& 1,"&2 &('+&# ., '
"#&'34(*. %"(35-#6

2/10/14
3
lndlvldual v. CulLural 8elauvlsm
871.-.13#+ '&+#,-./0 = /392&5,-./0: eLhlcal
[udgmenLs merely express my own oplnlon,
LasLe, polnL of vlew
!3+%3'#+ '&+#,-./0: norms are deLermlned by
soclal conLexL
Also: hlsLorlcal problem (hlsLorlcal
relauvlsm") = values change over ume
nleLzschean erspecuvlsm
1here are only perspecuves
1hose ln power call Lhemselves
good"
7. (* ,-" 0##2* ./'. (0.#"8"#. ./#
1,"&29 ,-" 2"(4#* '02 ./#(" :,"
'02 !;'(0*.< =4#"> 2"(4# (* ' ?(02
,@ &-*. ., "-&#9 #'%/ ,0 /'* (.*
8#"*8#%34# ./'. (. 1,-&2 &(?# .,
%,)8#& '&& ./# ,./#" 2"(4#* .,
'%%#8. '* ' 0,")"
lrledrlch nleLzsche
1844-1900
So unlversallsm
nussbaum's Capablllues
Approach
varleLy of norms needed
for human ourlshlng
Can be embodled ln
dlerenL culLures ln
dlerenL ways
MarLha nussbaum
b. 1947
nussbaum's CenLral Capablllues
1. Llfe
2. 8odlly healLh
3. 8odlly lnLegrlLy
4. Senses, lmaglnauon, and LhoughL
3. Lmouon
6. racucal reason
7. Amllauon
8. CLher specles
9. lay
10. ConLrol over one's envlronmenL: pollucal and
maLerlal
Argulng abouL relauvlsm
1here ls moral dlverslLy
(descrlpuve relauvlsm ls Lrue)

8uL do we dlsagree abouL facL or abouL values?

And do we really dlsagree abouL key/cenLral
values: generoslLy, healLh, peace (ex. nussbaum's
capablllues)?
Argulng abouL 8elauvlsm
We wanL Lo be LoleranL and open-mlnded

8uL relauvlsm need noL lead Lo Lolerance
1olerance ls beuer grounded ln a fundamenLal
(non-relauve) clalm abouL llberLy
8elauvlsm mlghL be used Lo defend wlll-Lo-
power"
2/10/14
4
Argulng abouL 8elauvlsm
1here ls uncerLalnLy abouL eLhlcs (skepuclsm)
8uL uncerLalnLy does noL mean LhaL Lhere ls no
answer

Can we make progress ln knowledge abouL eLhlcs?
Argulng abouL 8elauvlsm
1here are slLuauonal dlerences
Why be sensluve Lo conLexL/slLuauons? need a
value here.
Lx. !usuce requlres us Lo glve each hls due" = LreaL
dlerenL people ln approprlaLe ways

Absoluusm?
:9/6+3,/0 clalms LhaL every slLuauon should be
LreaLed exacLly Lhe same

Lx. never sLeal" even lf you are sLarvlng

8uL Absoluusm ls noL necessary Lo avold relauvlsm
Can we can admlL dlerenL slLuauons wlLhouL
sllpplng lnLo sub[ecuvlsm?
Lx. lnsulln shoLs are good for dlabeucs buL noL for everyone
8elauvlsm as self-conLradlcLory?
All LruLh clalms are relauve"
1hls makes a LruLh clalm
So Lhls ls relauve
1hus lL ls merely relauve LhaL
all LruLh clalms are relauve"
So lL ls noL Lrue" LhaL all
LruLh clalms are relauve"
8orLy: pragmauc anu-foundauonallsm
!udgmenLs are provlslonal
and embedded ln conLexLs,
culLures, and ways of llfe
noL a global asseruon of
relauvlsm-buL a recognluon
of llmlLs and perspecuves
8lchard 8orLy
1931-2007
Moral 8eallsm
1here are really
exlsung ob[ecLs" of
moral [udgmenL
ConsulL Lhe real
ob[ecLs of morallLy
whlch are supposed Lo
make [udgmenLs abouL
good and evll Lrue
2/10/14
3
Moral lurallsm
ls Lhere one good or many?
Cf. 8ellglous plurallsm (ch. 2): convergence of
rellglons Loward one common core
lurallsLs hold LhaL Lhere are many goods
Cne Lype of plurallsm
8oss's prlma facle duues
lldellLy
8eparauon
CrauLude
8enecence
nonmalecence
!usuce
Self-lmprovemenL