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Moral relativism is based on four theses

1. Diversity thesis

2. Dependency thesis

3. Conventionalism thesis

4. Toleration thesis

1. The Diversity Thesis

• People do in fact disagree in their moral beliefs. Cultures exhibit vastly different attitudes toward adultery, premarital sex, property ownership, violence, etc. Even the same moral tradition varies over time.

1.1 Objection to diversity thesis

• While there is variation in moral beliefsbetween cultures, much of the apparentdiversity in moral beliefs can be traced todifferences in circumstances and in non-moral beliefs that are not directly related toquestions of morality. Thus, appearances tothe contrary, the difference may not be agenuine moral difference. The differencemay be - difference in non-moral beliefs ordifference based on circumstances.

2. Dependency Thesis

• Simply stated, the thesis says that the rightness or wrongness of moral beliefs can be determined only in relation to the culture or moral tradition of the individuals who hold them.

2.1 Objection to dependency thesis

• But the fact that moral beliefs differ may only show that some beliefs – or perhaps all of them – are false. From the fact that different people have different moral beliefs about some issue, it does not follow logically that there is no objective truth about the issue nor that all beliefs about that issue are equal-ly acceptable. When two people or two groups have different beliefs, at most all that follows is that at least one of them is wrong.

3. Conventionalism thesis

• This view states that morality is based on conventions made among members of society or culture. Even though the current members of culture may not be the original contractors they tacitly accept the cultures conventions.

3.1 Objection to conventionalism thesis

• There are other alternatives to conventionalism thesis. Facts of human nature and social interaction pose demands on moral principles. For example a society where random killing is permitted cannot survive.

4. Toleration Thesis

• Relativists say that we should adopt a tolerant at-titude towards other individuals or social groups that hold different mo-ral beliefs. “Toleration” presumably means refraining from using force to impose the moral beliefs of one's own culture on other cultures.

4.1 Objection to tolerance thesis

• But if a principle of toleration is not a part

of the moral beliefs of another culture, the

members of that culture have no moral

obligation to practice tolerance toward us,

even if we believe in toleration.

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Performative Contradiction

• Just in case the conclusion of cultural relativismis true, i.e., that there is no universal truth inmorality, by implication, it also claims that therecan be no universal truth at all.

• This conclusion must be made self-referentially.

• Therefore, there is no reason why we shouldtake cultural relativism's conclusion seriously,since it qualifies as an assertion of a universaltruth.

Incoherence

• The most telling criticisms against the theory ofethical relativism are those that point to theincoherent consequences of the theory. If the theoryof ethical relativism were true, then it would makeno sense -

• - to criticize the practices of other societies solong as they conformed to their own standards;

• - to criticize any of the moral standards orpractices accepted by our own society.

• The theory of ethical relativism implies thatwhatever the majority in our society believes aboutmorality is automatically correct.

Integrity

• No individual . . . can ethically justify

engaging in practices the individual . . .

believes are immoral or unethical. A person

of integrity . . . not only has principles but

lives by them . . . – Richard T. de George, Business Ethics, 4th edition,

New Jersey: Prentice Hall, 1995.