Moral Relativity

As will be discussed in a later chapter, absolute justification seems unattainable. The very definition of the concept leads to an infinite regress and thus to an unsolvable problem. But does this situation undermine morality?

It may be true that an absolute warrant for our rules of conduct would make it much easier to argue for their validity. But it is not necessary to go from the relativity of morality to the extreme that all things are permitted and therefore society is impossible because of the simple fact that we do have many cases of societies that have survived.

Societies need some common rules and when the generally accepted rules for a society are undergoing change, it is natural to feel apprehensive. And there is real danger that the changes may be too rapid or extreme. But these are practical problems that need to be discussed and worked through.

As we have seen so far in this section on ethics, we do seem to have some common basic desires. Right and wrong, common rules of conduct, and virtues and ideals can all be justified in a practical sense by their usefulness is helping us fulfill these basic desires.

Very few people want chaos. With tolerance and flexibility, we can still have a stable and healthy society even if some of our traditional moral ideas are undergoing change. Many of the most basic moral concepts remain intact. Once we shift from absolute justification to practical justification, many of the same values remain. They have stood the test of time and should not be discarded lightly. Why were they successful? Are they still useful today? As we have seen, many of the basic moral concepts common to many cultures seem to be on a good practical foundation and can still be the basis for our society. If we find alternatives that work better, so be it. Then we need to consider how to implement them in a way that will not undermine our society's ability to fulfill our most basic desires.