1. Anthropologist Ruth Benedict 1887 - 1948

2. The Landscape of Ethics
Objectivism Subjectivism
There is an objective standard There is no objective standard

3. Morality “Morality” a term for socially approved customs
Relative to culture
Moral Behavior: society categorizes as “normal”

4. Normalcy: Culturally Defined

5. Which is Benedict doing?
Descriptive Prescriptive

6. Morality
Descriptively: code of conduct put forward or accepted by a group or individual

7. Morality
Normatively: prescribing a code of conduct

8. Cultural Relativism

9. Ethical Relativism

10. Dilemma
God Society

11. Argument by Analogy

12. Analogy Language Morality
What do we find in the case of language when we look at the world and different cultures?

13. Argument by Analogy Language/Morals
1. great numbers of possible phonic articulations
2. possibility of language depends upon a selection and standardization
3. selection is a non rational and subconscious process which goes on in groups for a long period of time and is historically conditioned by innumerable accidents of isolation or contact
Morals
1. great numbers of possible behaviors
2. possibility of organized behavior depends upon a selection and standardization
3. selection a non rational and subconscious process which goes on in groups for a long period of time and is historically conditioned by innumerable accidents of isolation or contact

14. Possible Phonic Articulations

15. Possible Behaviors

16. Selection & Standardization
good
buono
хороший
bueno

17. Annie Oakley 1889 Historical Accident