Ethical Relativism and the Concept of a Moral Judgment

This chapter aims to consider the concept of a moral judgment, where by ‘moral judgment’ is meant ‘normative moral judgment’ as opposed to ‘descriptive moral judgment.’ It discusses the consideration in the context of a representative discussion of ethical relativism. The representation of significant ambiguity in the large and general way in which it appears in common thought may serve as point of departure for its more precise representation in a discussion of ethical relativism. The fundamental argument of the ethical relativist appears to be a substitution instance of modus ponens: if sociological relativism is true, then ethical relativism is true; sociological relativism has been shown to be true; it follows that ethical relativism is true. Ethical absolutism stands too much apart from the facts; ethical relativism is too much dependent upon them.