moral relativism

moral relativism
The philosophized notion that right and wrong are not absolute values, but are personalized according to the individual and his or her circumstances or cultural orientation. It can be used positively to effect change in the law (e.g., promoting tolerance for other customs or lifestyles) or negatively as a means to attempt justification for wrongdoing or lawbreaking. The opposite of moral relativism is moral absolutism, which espouses a fundamental, natural law of constant values and rules, and which judges all persons equally, irrespective of individual circumstances or cultural differences.

Dictionary from West's Encyclopedia of American Law. 2005.


moral relativism
The philosophized notion that right and wrong are not absolute values, but are personalized according to the individual and his or her circumstances or cultural orientation. It can be used positively to effect change in the law (e.g., promoting tolerance for other customs or lifestyles) or negatively as a means to attempt justification for wrongdoing or lawbreaking. The opposite of moral relativism is moral absolutism, which espouses a fundamental, natural law of constant values and rules, and which judges all persons equally, irrespective of individual circumstances or cultural differences.

Short Dictionary of (mostly American) Legal Terms and Abbreviations.

Игры ⚽ Поможем решить контрольную работу

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Moral relativism — For other uses, see Relativism Moral relativism may be any of several descriptive, meta ethical, or normative positions. Each of them is concerned with the differences in moral judgments across different people and cultures: Descriptive… …   Wikipedia

  • Moral relativism — the view that the meaning and value of human beliefs and behaviors have no absolute reference. Relativists claim that humans understand and evaluate beliefs and behaviors only in terms of, for example, their historical and cultural context.… …   Mini philosophy glossary

  • moral relativism — /mɒrəl ˈrɛlətəvɪzəm/ (say moruhl reluhtuhvizuhm) noun the view that ethical standards are culturally based, and that a moral decision can be valid in one system of ethics and not valid in another. –moral relativist, noun …  

  • Moral relativism — the view that there are no universal moral truths …   Mini philosophy glossary

  • Moral skepticism — denotes a class of metaethical theories all members of which entail that no one has any moral knowledge. Many moral skeptics also make the stronger, modal, claim that moral knowledge is impossible. Moral skepticism is particularly opposed to… …   Wikipedia

  • Moral Development — focuses on the emergence, change, and understanding of morality from infancy to adulthood. In the field of moral development, morality is defined as principles for how individuals ought to treat one another, with respect to justice, others’… …   Wikipedia

  • Moral universe — has two distinct meanings which are found throughout the literature. One relates to the moral nature of the universe as a whole and thus to human life, and the other refers to the many moral universes of people, groups, things and concepts.… …   Wikipedia

  • Moral equivalence — is a term used in political debate, usually to criticize any denial that a moral hierarchy can be assessed of two sides in a conflict, or in the actions or tactics of two sides. The term originates from a 1906 address by William James entitled… …   Wikipedia

  • Moral universalism — (also called moral objectivism or universal morality) is the meta ethical position that some system of ethics, or a universal ethic, applies universally, that is, for all similarly situated individuals ,[1] regardless of culture, race, sex,… …   Wikipedia

  • Moral clarity — is a catchphrase associated with American political conservatives. Popularized by William J. Bennett s Why We Fight: Moral Clarity and the War on Terrorism, the phrase was first used in its current context during the 1980s, in reference to the… …   Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”