Source: Mark Timmons. Moral Theory : An Introduction. Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, 2012. EBSCOhost, https://search-ebscohost-com.ccco.idm.oclc.org/login.aspx?direct=true&db=nlebk&AN=507661&site=ehost-live&scope=site.
Chapter 3: Moral Relativism
. Moral Relativism. According to Moral Relativism, morality is determined by one’s culture. Explain the moral relativist’s position that morality is determined by culture, taking care to distinguish moral relativism from the context sensitivity thesis. Then assess the theory. Does moral relativism offer a plausible account of morality (i.e. what’s right, wrong, good and bad)? Is morality really determined by one’s culture? Why? Why not?
Following your introduction and thesis statement, your response should include in order:
(1) an explanation of moral relativism, including an account of how it differs from the context sensitivity thesis
(2) a thesis statement that conforms to the writing guide
(3) a brief discussion of why someone might final moral relativism appealing
(4) 1-2 objections to moral relativism (you might consider whether relativism plausibly follows from moral diversity and whether moral disagreements are fundamental, or some challenge related to one of the criteria of evaluation, i.e. determinacy, consistency, applicability, intuitive appeal, internal support, external support, explanatory power)
(5) a critical evaluation of those objections (Can they be resolved? How might a moral relativist response? Is this response plausible?)
(6) Following your analysis, develop a brief conclusion that summarizes your arguments.
