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Shader-Landau Theory Of Ethical Relativism

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In contrast, ethical subjectivists claim that each individual decides which moral standards are correct (291). This theory suggests that moral statements can be true and false. - right or wrong - but they refer only to people’s attitudes, rather than their actions. Ethical subjectivism is rather that ethics is subject to one’s opinions. Something is morally acceptable on the basis that the person(s) approves and commitments allow. Therefore, equally an action is wrong/immoral if that person disapproves or their commitments forbid it. The reasons to accept ethical relativism are as follows. Firstly, there is the diversity of moral views. Disagreement in moral beliefs existence is evidences that there are no universal truths, only subjective …show more content…

Since, cultural relativists argue that society determines moral standards, therefore an individual that opposes the normal is morally incorrect. But what if you are apart of multiple cultures? Shade-Landau uses case of Wisconsin vs. Yoder to illustrate this contradiction (301). This group does not allow individuals to exist in multiple societies, thus proving cultural relativism’s problematic argument against ethical objectivity. An individual is correct and incorrect at the same time and cultural relativism is unable to adjust or reverse this result. Many societies are a "melting pot" of cultures and most people belong to multiple thus proving that cultural relativism is …show more content…

Our text uses an honor killing example to further oppose and question cultural relativism. Duran Halitogullari was a rape victim and as a result, her father felt that she, “ had dishonored their family by having been raped. He then exercised what he regarded as his rightful authority…..Such “honor killings” usually go unpunished. That’s because the cultures in which they are committed often regard them as justified. In such cultures, a family’s honor is often dependent on the “purity” of its women. ” (294) This honor killing represented a threat to their pride, dignity, and community standing and deemed unacceptable challenge to their position and thus Duran Halitogullari was killed. Shader-Landau then asks “If morality is in the eye of the beholder, then everyone is seeing things equally well.“

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