Subjectivism LO: I will know what Subjectivism is Hmk: Exam practice. Explain the view that Ethics are relative (25). Spend about half an hour writing your answer.

Homework check: Responses to the Dialogue article … Any comments from the reading?

Evaluating Relativism +ve Explains the existence of the different values that people hold Supports and encourages diverse cultural expressions. It is very tolerant. Forbids the dominance of a single culture imposing itself on others, thereby discouraging arrogance and cultural superiority Is a flexible ethical system that can accommodate the wide diversity of lifestyles found in the modern world.

Evaluating Relativism -ve The existence of different views doesn’t mean that they are all equal (analogy of the athlete training) Some statements are true absolutely (e.g. ‘it is wrong to torture innocent people,’) Just because cultures vary, it does not mean to say that there is no objective ‘good.’ The Nazi culture was morally wrong, to argue that the Nazi ethic was ‘right for them’ seems very dangerous. Relativists are unable to criticize a different culture, and therefore, unable to resolve conflict. E.g. If a culture endorses wife-beating, then wife-beating is morally acceptable. There is a paradoxical consequence of adopting relativism. If the relative belief that differing moral codes should all be supported was adopted universally, relativism itself would be an absolute moral code.

Key Question Where does Morality come from???? Society? Individual? Somewhere else?

Subjectivism – Morality is a matter of taste … Protagoras held that there’s no truth in anything beyond the way it seems. There’s no objective knowledge because all knowledge depends on the perception of the person. He famously said, “Man is the measure of all things.”

Subjectivism Read quote from Ted Bundy (serial killer) Can his view be justified? What are the issues? Discuss.

News report Prepare a thorough report outlining relativism to someone who has never heard of it before …

Plenary - Show me the answer! Using mini-whiteboards, pupils must show you the answer to a series of questions Answer!

Don’t forget your homework …