Business Ethics

Subjectivism

 What is morally right or wrong for you depends on what you think is morally right or wrong, i.e., right or wrong is relative to the individual. The 'moral facts' may alter from person to person.

 Our moral opinions are relativized to each of our own subjective attitudes.

 The philosophical tenet that "our own mental activity is the only unquestionable fact of our experience".

Subjectivism teaches that there are no objective moral truths out there.

 There are no objective moral facts. Therefore 'murder is wrong' can't be objectively true

Many forms of subjectivism go a bit further and teach that moral statements describe how the speaker feels about a particular ethical issue.

 Moral statements are just factual statements about the attitude the speaker holds on a particular issue.

 So if I say "Lying is wrong", all I'm doing is telling you that I disapprove of telling lies.

Some forms of subjectivism generalize this idea to come up with:

 Moral statements are just factual statements about the attitude normal human beings hold on a particular issue.

And this may ultimately lead us to this conclusion about moral truths:

 Moral judgements are dependent on the feelings and attitudes of the persons who think about such things.

Good points of Subjectivism

Reflects the subjective elements of morality

 it reflects the close relationship between morality and people's feelings and opinions - indeed it can cope with the contradictory moral views we often find ourselves wrestling with.

Reflects the evaluative elements of moral statements

 moral statements in everyday life make judgements ("lying is wrong"), factual statements ("cats have fur") don't.

Shows that moral judgements communicate dis/approval

 it reflects the communication of approval and disapproval that seems to go along with the everyday making of moral statements.

May clarify what people are arguing about

 subjectivism may enable people disagreeing over the...