POLS 340 Lecture Notes - Lecture 1: Moral Relativism, Cultural Relativism, Citizen Journalism
18 Dec 2016
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Some argue that because standards of conduct and way of doing things differ. Ethical relativist argue that what is morally right or wrong may vary in a fundamental way from person to person or from culture to culture. Holmes (1998:163-164) discusses three forms of ethical relativism: It is important to understand that ethics and law are distinct categories. By law, we generally mean legislation, statutes, and regulations made by states and by the federal government on a host of subjects for the public good and public welfare. Ethical standards are not necessarily written down in the form of laws or other rules, but represent the collective experience of a society as it regulates the behavior of those who make up that society. Sometimes laws can conflict with ethical standards. Three things shape role of ethics in policing. Little concern for officers to adhere to legal norms when first instituted in united states. Functions narrowed to crime control in 1930s.
