|
Moral Absolutism
Basic Definition - theory that there are absolute standards against which moral questions can be judged—suggests that morals are not determined by societal or situational influences
*Something is always right or always wrong.
Moral Relativism
Basic Definition - The notion that morality is not an absolute value, but are right and wrong are relative to a culture or group or an understanding of an interpretation of facts.
*Something is right when it is right according to a culture's acceptance of that decision or based upon a relative interpretation of facts.
Moral Realism
Basic Definition -
Moral realists hold that there are moral facts, that it is in light of these facts that peoples’ moral judgments are true or false, and that the facts being what they are (and so the judgments being true, when they are) is not merely a reflection of our thinking the facts are one way or another.
*Something is right based on facts that do not change. |
For your paper...
This is not a dissertation on the differences between the three philosophies - structure your paper around your issue and its morality - MENTION one (or two or all) of the theories and discuss BRIEFLY how it relates to your topic.
The purpose of this essay to force you to contemplate morality and a moral issue.
We are looking at literature and our own society through the lens of morality - how does a society make its decisions? What is right? What is wrong? |