Comment on Philosophy meme

• poplargrove@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago

  No they understand just fine. Here’s a quote from an ethics book that gets at the same issue:

  The extreme sexism at the heart of honor killings is but one of many examples that raise doubts about cultural relativism. After all, societies are sometimes based on principles of slavery, of warlike aggression, of religious bigotry or ethnic oppression. Cultural relativism would turn these core ideals into iron-clad moral duties, making cooperation with slavery, sexism, and racism the moral duty of all citizens of those societies. The iconoclast—the person deeply opposed to conventional wisdom—would, by definition, always be morally mistaken. This has struck many people as seriously implausible.

  Russ Shaffer-Landau - The fundamentals of ethics p.293 (“Some Implications of Ethical Subjectivism and Cultural Relativism”)

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  • Cryophilia@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago

    Cultural relativism would turn these core ideals into iron-clad moral duties

    Without knowing the context for this paragraph, this statement sounds like utter bullshit.

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    • poplargrove@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago

      If that consequence is unacceptable, that probably just means you think cultural relativism is bullshit.

      I can share a link to get the book, the context is quite short.

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      • Cryophilia@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago

        No, I mean I’m pretty sure that characterization of relativism is bullshit. A straw man if you will.

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  • GCostanzaStepOnMe@feddit.de ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago

    But most people don’t believe this.

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    • poplargrove@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago

      Believe what?

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      • GCostanzaStepOnMe@feddit.de ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago

        OP said

        Most people here want to be moral relativists

        going by your quote, I don’t think that’s true.

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