PHIL 230 Lecture Notes - Lecture 7: Meta-Ethics, Relativism, Moral Universalism
3 Apr 2016
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Descriptive relativism is a thesis about cultural diversity. It holds that, as a matter of fact, moral beliefs and practices vary between cultures (and sometimes between groups within a single society). (internet encycl. As a matter of empirical fact, there are deep and widespread moral disagreements across different societies, and these disagreements are much more significant than whatever agreements there may be. (stanford encycl. Descriptive moral relativism could be true even if meta-ethical moral relativism is not. The truth or falsity of moral judgments, or their justification, is not absolute or universal, but is relative to the traditions, convictions, or practices of a group of persons. (stanford encycl. Another definition: no single moral code has universal validity ; moral truth and justifiability are in some way relative to factors that are culturally and historically contingent (wong, david. Similar to meta-ethical moral relativism, except the standpoint from which moral judgments are true or justified is an individual rather than a group.
