 Ethical relativism is the view that ethical

values and beliefs are relative to the

various individuals or societies that hold
them.
 Thus, according to the ethical relativists,
there is no objective right and wrong.
 Basic notions of Ethical relativism:
“What is right for one person is not necessarily
right for another.”
What is right in some circumstances is not
necessarily in another.”
 Personal or Individual Ethical Relativism
Holds that ethical judgments and beliefs
are the expression of the moral outlook
and attitudes of individual persons.
Thus, for the individual ethical relativists,
there is no objective standard of right and
wrong.
Conclusion: A person has no right to say
that others are CORRECT or INCORRECT
since to do so would assume objective
standard of right and wrong.
 Social/Cultural Ethical Relativism:
Holds that ethical values vary from society to
society and that the basis for moral
judgments lies on these social or cultural
views.
Thus, in determining the rightness and
wrongness of a human act, one must base it
on the norms of a particular society.
Conclusion: No society’s view is better than
any other in trans-cultural sense. Hence, no
society has the right to say that a particular
culture of a certain society is wrong.
 The Diversity of Moral Values
 The presence of disagreements on many
ethical issues or even basic moral values or
principles prove the point that we cannot
attain objective truth.
 Critical Appraisal:
Diversity is necessary. Through diversity of ethical
schools of thought. (example: one lessens the
difficulty in determining the morality of a human
act. One can simply choose among them.
It is through diversity that one finds unity/beauty.
 Moral Uncertainty
There is a great difficulty in knowing what
is morally right thing to believe or do.

Critical Appraisal:
The difficulty in knowing what is morally
right or wrong is not actually RELATIVISM; it
is SKEPTICISM in the guise of relativism.
If there is difficulty in determining the
morality of a human act, does it follow that
we cannot find the answer/truth?
 Situational Differences
The situations and life world of different people vary so
much that it is difficult to believe that same things that
would be right for one would be right for another.
Critical appraisal:
Situational differences tend to equate objectivism
with absolutism.
Objectivism is not the same with
absolutism, though some respects, they
might imply the same meaning.
Objectivism: truth can be attained
Absolutism: moral values or principles have no
exceptions.
Objectivism is not the same with
absolutism, though some
respects, they might imply the
same meaning.
Objectivism: truth can be attained
Absolutism: moral values or
principles have no exceptions
 Florentino Timbreza:
Ethical relativism contradicts common
beliefs and ordinary experiences.

Ethical relativism is self-contradictory

The claim that there is no objective standard
in determining the morality of a human act is
OBJECTIVITY in itself.
Thus, the ethical relativists are objectivizing
the claim that there is no objective standard
of right and wrong.
 Andres Salvador
The Analogy of the Table
No one has the monopoly of the truth.
However, objective truth can be attained
through DIALOGUE or DISCOURSE.
Note if DISCOURSE is not possible, then
ethical relativism might be TRUE and VALID.
In the Medical Context:
Scientific medical procedures conflict with
certain religious aspects of ethical relativism.