Ethical relativism and ethical absolutism are two contrasting approaches to understanding

morality and ethical principles. Here's a brief overview of each concept:

1. Ethical Relativism:
 Definition: Ethical relativism is the belief that ethical standards are subjective and vary
depending on individual perspectives, cultural norms, or societal values.
 Key Points:
 Morality is not universally fixed; it varies across different cultures, societies, or
individuals.
 There is no absolute standard for determining what is morally right or wrong.
 Ethical judgments are relative to the context and cultural background.
 Strengths:
 Respects cultural diversity and individual autonomy.
 Reflects the reality of diverse moral beliefs across societies.
 Weaknesses:
 Raises challenges in addressing cross-cultural moral disagreements.
 May lead to moral skepticism, making it difficult to critique harmful practices in
other cultures.
2. Ethical Absolutism:
 Definition: Ethical absolutism holds that there are universal and objective moral
principles that apply to all individuals, cultures, and situations.
 Key Points:
 Certain actions are inherently right or wrong, irrespective of cultural or individual
differences.
 Moral standards are fixed and do not depend on subjective opinions or cultural
context.
 Strengths:
 Provides a stable and consistent foundation for moral decision-making.
 Allows for the possibility of criticizing actions as universally wrong.
 Weaknesses:
 May not fully account for cultural diversity and variations in moral beliefs.
 Raises questions about whose interpretation of absolute principles is correct.

In summary, ethical relativism asserts that morality is subjective and varies across cultures, while
ethical absolutism argues for the existence of universal and objective moral principles. Both
approaches have strengths and weaknesses, and debates about the nature of morality often
revolve around finding a balance between recognizing cultural diversity and maintaining a
consistent moral framework.