The Nature of Moral Principles
Definition
Moral principles
Moral principles are guidelines or rules that inform our judgments about what is right or wrong.
They raise fundamental questions:
- Do they exist?
- Are they universal or relative?
Universal vs. Relative Moral Principles
Universal Moral Principles apply to all people, regardless of culture or situation.Example
The belief that murder is wrong in all contexts.
Relative Moral Principles depend on cultural, social, or situational contexts.Example
Polygamy may be accepted in some cultures but not in others.
NoteUnderstanding whether moral principles are universal or relative is crucial for navigating ethical dilemmas and understanding different cultural perspectives.
Foundations for Moral Judgments
- Rationality: The use of reason and logic to determine moral principles.
- Example: Kant's categorical imperative, which relies on universalizable maxims.
- Emotion: The role of feelings and intuitions in shaping moral judgments.
- Example: Emotivism, which views moral statements as expressions of emotional responses.
- Natural Law: The belief that moral principles are derived from the natural order of the world.
- Example: Aquinas's view that human reason can discern moral laws inherent in nature.
- Environment: The influence of cultural, social, and situational factors on moral judgments.
- Example: Cultural relativism, which argues that moral principles are shaped by cultural norms.
When analyzing moral judgments, consider how different foundations — rationality, emotion, natural law, and environment — interact and influence each other.
Cognitivism and Non-Cognitivism
Definition
Cognitivism
The view that moral statements express beliefs and can be true or false.
Moral realism, which holds that moral facts exist independently of our beliefs.
