Relativism

SOC120: Introduction to Ethics & Social Responsibility Instructor: Christopher Myers December 20, 2012 Relativism In the article “Some Moral Minima”, Lenn Goodman argues that there are certain moral wrongs that are universal. He describes four areas he believes are areas of universal moral wrongs in detail. Morality has been an issue that many societies all over the world have been trying to understand and contend with for a very long time. I will also explore the challenges Goodman presents to relativism by using specific examples of these challenges. I will discuss how I think there should be such universal moral requirements and defend these answers. Goodman basically discusses that every person whether it be man, woman, or child has the rights to live and be free from any and all inhumane treatment. Goodman’s main understanding is not to be quick on judging things we don’t understand, but to judge those things that are not morally right. I believe that all people are equal and have the right to live their own life as do the violators should have no rights to commit these unruly acts of wrong. In Goodman’s argument he confirms four universal and fundamental things that are considered not acceptable and wrong in society- moral minima. The first is genocide which also includes politically induced famine and germ warfare. The second is terrorism which also includes kidnapping and child labor force including using them as child warriors. The third category is polygamy which can encompass slavery and incest. The final category he covers is rape and female genital mutilation (Goodman, 2010). I would without a doubt agree and share these same sentiments as Goodman describes. In ‘Some Moral Minima’ written by Lenn Goodman, Goodman states “What I want to do here is single out a few areas where I think human deserts are irrefragable—not because these deserts are never questioned or breached in practice, but because they never should be (Goodman,2010).” He goes on to successfully argue this statement, detailing with specific examples, that some acts are universally wrong, despite how they might be justified to some because of cultural beliefs or upbringing. Goodman validates his claim with detailed examples of acts that are, universally wrong: genocide, terrorism, and rape. Some may argue that these views present challenges to the theory of relativism, however, as with any theory, there is no black and white or absolute truth. Goodman does not dismiss the facts that individuals, should not be too quick to judge people that we do not understand, and, that we should be open minded to others’ cultural beliefs; instead, he simply proves that we, as individuals, also have a moral obligation to be able to recognize when something is just simply wrong. Goodman believes murder is wrong because “it destroys a human subject” (Goodman, 2010), but he also believes there are circumstances that can attribute to whether or not the murder is always wrong. Goodman uses the example of war to defend this idea, stating that it is sometimes necessary to resort to this act as a form of protection (Goodman, 2010). Similar to this would be acts of murder committed in self-defense or by the death penalty. Although both of these acts result in ending someone’s life, which can be argued as immoral, the intent behind it is not normally malicious. On the other hand, the act of genocide, which is the deliberate killing of a large number of people based solely on the fact that their nationality or culture or class differ from someone else’s, is malicious and based on hatred which is simply wrong. Ethical relativism states that there is no right or wrong, but these evaluations must be understood relative to a culture, a society, or even an individual. This approach seems to allow us to avoid having to defend ethical claims that can be difficult to defend; however, others maintain that relativism has certain crippling problems (Mosser, 2010). In the writing, “Some Moral Minima,” Lenn E. Goodman argues that certain things are just wrong. When I consider my own morals, immediately I feel agreement with this statement, but part of me has difficulty grasping that only one accurate ethic exists, that we can reach one international agreement on issues. In this paper I will provide my opinion on the challenges Goodman presents to relativism and my thoughts on moral universality. Goodman asks us, “Why is genocide uglier than murder' Why is mass murder any different than a criminal’s killing of a marked victim'” Genocide is when members of a group seek to destroy an entire race, culture, linguistic or ethnic identity (Goodman, 2010). Clearly the answer lies in the intent of the action, not the measure of the crime. This topic brings me to the 9/11 terrorist attacks on the U.S. This threat brought about consideration for mass defense weapons to hit large numbers fast. Considering that our terrorist threats were Muslims, would this not be genocidal practice on this race' Many labeled American Muslims as terrorists because they were like the enemy, but two wrongs do not make a right. This belief was no different from Al-Qaeda grouping all Americans into one belief system. Genocide should be considered as universally immoral. Goodman states that moral barriers are stripped away in escalating violence, yet warfare is not always wrong (Goodman, 2010). To me this is a valid stance and one I agree with however, not all cultures would support this opinion. Many people believe that slavery no longer exists, but it still happens today in the form of racism. There are some people out there that still believe if you are black you cannot handle what the white people can handle. I think that is wrong. I believe that it does not matter what the color of your skin or the language that you talk that everyone should be treated as equal. Goodman basically discusses that every person whether it be man, woman, or child has the rights to live and be free from any and all inhumane treatment. Goodman’s main understanding is not to be quick on judging things we don’t understand, but to judge those things that are not morally right. I believe that all people are equal and have the right to live their own life as do the violators should have no rights to commit these unruly acts of wrong. Reference Goodman, L.E. (2010) "Some Moral Minima," Good Society Journal, Pennsylvania State University Press Mosser, K (2010) Ethics and Social Responsibility San Diego, CA Bridgepoint Education, Inc