2/10/14

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!"#$%&' )
*&+#,-./01 2340#5 #56 *3'%7
Louls o[man, Who's Lo !udge?"
PerodoLus: Creeks do
noL eaL Lhelr faLhers
when Lhey dle, buL Lhe
Callauans eaL Lhelr
faLhers
LLhnocenLrlsm ls wrong:
Lhe uncrlucal bellef ln
Lhe superlorlLy of one's
own culLure
Louls o[man
1933-2003
o[man: ulverslLy Lhesls" plus
uependency Lhesls
ulverslLy Lhesls = CulLural 8elauvlsm = Lhere
are dlverse values ln Lhe world
uependency Lhesls = morallLy ls dependenL
upon conLexL
MorallLy musL be undersLood wlLhln Lhe soclal
conLexL ln whlch lL develops
1here ls no vlew from ouLslde of a conLexL
o[man: 8elauvlsL Concluslon
lf Lhere are dlerenL moral prlnclples from
culLure Lo culLure and lf all morallLy ls rooLed
ln culLure, Lhen lL follows LhaL Lhere are no
unlversal moral prlnclples valld for all culLures
and people aL all umes" (38)
o[man: Sub[ecuvlsm
Pemlngway: so far, abouL morals, l know
only LhaL whaL ls moral ls whaL you feel good
aer and whaL ls lmmoral ls whaL you feel bad
aer"
Cn Lhe basls of sub[ecuvlsm lL could very
easlly Lurn ouL LhaL Adolf PlLler ls as moral as
Candhl, so long as each belleves he ls llvlng by
hls chosen prlnclples"
o[man's Cradlng example
lf rof. o[man gave you an l slmply because
he felL llke lL, would LhaL be wrong?

1here ls no way for Lhe sub[ecuvlsL Lo crluclze
ln[usuce

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o[man: Sub[ecuvlsm ls lncoherenL
ConLradlcuon beLween Sub[ecuvlsm and Lhe
very concepL of morallLy

o[man: Convenuonal LLhlcal
8elauvlsm
Soclal envlronmenLs are lmporLanL
lnLerculLural Lolerance ls lmporLanL
8u1: Lhese clalms are nC1 relauve
1olerance ls a value
And we value progress, reform, soclal change
8ased upon a clalm LhaL some Lhlngs are wrong
and oLhers are rlghL
o[man: Whlch CulLure/CommunlLy?
We all belong Lo varlous communlues/
culLures wlLh dlerenL values
Can l choose my culLure (or form a subculLure)
based on my own values?
CulLural relauvlsm reduces Lo sub[ecuvlsm
(my culLure.")
o[man Concluslons
noL as much dlverslLy as we Lhlnk (so
unlversallsm)
Common values (respecL for persons) enacLed ln
varlous ways (background condluons and bellefs)
8eason abouL and [usufy bellefs and [udgmenLs
Who's Lo !udge?"-We are: on Lhe basls of Lhe
besL reasonlng we can brlng forLh and wlLh
sympaLhy and undersLandlng"
8orLy: Moral 8elauvlsm"
Pumanlsm (of Lhe
LnllghLenmenL) = no
supernaLural gulde-only
8eason (= kanL)
nleLzsche, !ames, uewey (anu-
foundauonallsLs and
pragmausLs) ground values ln
human needs-and re[ecL Cod
and Lhe quasl-dlvlne faculLy of
8eason
8lchard 8orLy
1931-2007
8orLy: AbsoluusLs wanL Cod
AbsoluusL crlucs of moral relauvlsm Lhlnk LhaL
wlLhouL Cod, we have no reason Lo reslsL evll
or polnL Lo moral sLruggle
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8orLy's ragmausm
WhaL mauers for pragmausLs ls devlslng
ways of dlmlnlshlng human suerlng and
lncreaslng human equallLy, lncreaslng Lhe
ablllLy of all human chlldren Lo sLarL llfe wlLh
an equal chance. 1hls goal ls noL wrluen ln
Lhe sLars, and ls no more an expresslon of
whaL kanL called 'pure pracucal reason' Lhan lL
ls of Lhe Wlll of Cod. lL ls a goal worLh dylng
for, buL lL does noL requlre backup from
supernaLural forces"
8orLy: prlnclples" or pre[udlces"?
llrm moral prlnclples"
Abbrevlauons of pasL pracuces
PablLs of ancesLors we mosL admlre
8uL whaL abouL pre[udlces" we do noL llke?

8uL how do we know LhaL our own lnslghLs"
are noL slmply pre[udlces"?
We don'L!
8orLy: 8ules and rlnclples?
1hese are laLe developmenLs"
WlLh hlsLorles wlLhln a parucular socleLy
noL clearly beuer Lo have absLracL rauonal
prlnclples
Cur Lhlck" seL of cusLoms, lnsuLuuons, and
alleglances mauer
vs. Lhe Lhln" absLracL prlnclples of phllosophlcal
eLhlcs
8orLy: lnconcluslve Pope?
Conversauon abouL whlch Lhlck" culLure ls
besL" are lnconcluslve
as lnconcluslve as dlscusslon of Lhe relauve
superlorlLy of a beloved book or person over
anoLher person's beloved book or person."
8uL hope LhaL we can come LogeLher and
develop shared values
uanger of Lhls hope" becomlng an oughL" LhaL ls
LurocenLrlc/lmperlallsuc
8orLy: 8elauvlsL lnconcluslon
WhaL ls Lhe besL meLhod/approach: appeal Lo
Lhe supernaLural-or Lo uarwln (or Lo reason,
eLc.)?
Any answer begs Lhe quesuon"
l suspecL LhaL all LhaL elLher slde can do ls Lo
resLaLe lLs case over and over agaln, ln conLexL
aer conLexL"