Ehtical Dilemma

Philosophy 111 Introduction to Moral Philosophy Place the correct number next to the corresponding term. Ethical Relativism: Ethical Egoism: Psychological Altruism:

Ethical Objectivism: Ethical Altruism: Moral Realism:

Cultural Relativism:

Ethical Absolutism: Psychological Egoism:

Ethical Subjectivism:

Ethical Egotism:

Moral Nihilism:

1. An empirical or scientific claim. There are no global or universal moral standards or values. Moral codes are completely dependent upon culture and moral codes are fundamentally different from one culture to another.

2. A philosophical claim. There is no objective standard of right and wrong, even in principle. There are no universal moral standards. Moral standards are radically diverse and completely dependent upon what societies believe.

3. A philosophical claim. There is no objective standard of right and wrong, even in principle. There are no universal moral standards. Moral standards are radically diverse and completely dependent upon what individuals (individual subjects) believe.

4. A philosophical claim. There are objective standards of right and wrong. Moral standards are not completely dependent upon what individuals or societies believe. This is a kind of moral realism. Just because moral standards may be applied differently in various situations does not mean that there aren’t any universal moral standards.

5. A philosophical claim. There exists a moral reality independent of (meaning not dependent upon) people’s beliefs, attitudes, or actions. The Good exists in its own right, or, goods (moral facts) exist as entities in themselves. As Louis Pojman states, knowledge and friendship are intrinsically valuable. These values are not good because we desire them; rather, we desire them because they are good—they are necessary for human flourishing.

6. A philosophical claim. There is no such thing as “the Good”, and even if there was, we could not know it. There are no valid moral...