Ethics

Kaitlan DeVore

80486211

PHIL 2306

9/27/13

Moral Facts

I believe that moral facts are relative. Even though the word “facts” suggests that something must be right or wrong, and based on facts, our decisions are based on our culture and the situation. It was difficult for me to come to this conclusion, I’d like to believe that people are in agreement, that things are either right or wrong, objective, but that is not the case. In fact, moral objectivity now seems almost too simple. That saying that “Everything you need to know, you learned in kindergarten” needs to be changed to “Everything you need to know, you learned in kindergarten, depending on your culture and the situation.”

Our culture has a great impact on our beliefs. What we take for granted as world-wide beliefs are in fact dependent on our culture. For example, Americans believe in democracy. We do not understand countries with different governing beliefs and judge them as wrong. Some cultures believe it is wrong to marry someone from a different culture; believing that someone from a different culture will not raise children correctly or that that person will bring in new beliefs that will alter the “true” beliefs. Other cultural beliefs allow for more than one wife. What is seen as normal in their culture is illegal in the United States. It is almost impossible to judge objectively, what is right or wrong, when you first have to look at how a person’s cultural upbringing could have influenced their beliefs.

Moral facts are also relative to a given situation. I think most of us have, at one time or another, justified decisions based on certain situations. For example, it is okay to speed because everyone else is speeding. “You’ve done it, therefore I am entitled to do it” is the justification for many things nowadays. Marriage vows for both parties can go out the window when one spouse cheats; the other spouse may feel justified in cheating to get even, situational. Also, American history...