philosophy 1010

Classmate 1

Relativism can be defined as the belief that there is no absolute truth. Ethical relativism is an ethical belief that you think should apply to everyone, that all moral values changes depending on the individual or culture. In contrast absolutism is defined as at least some truths or values that apply to every situation. Ethical absolutism refers that some moral values are universal and apply to every individual and every culture. If something is wrong it is always wrong, there are absolute rights and wrongs whether you agree with them or not. The differences between these two is rather straight forward, in that they are opposites of each other. Under absolutism we evaluate whether a standard holds more importance than another. “For instance, the guideline, “Do not lie” is less important than “Do not kill” (Brown, 2019). The disadvantages of this is not everything is black and white. There are different circumstances that should be taken into account and don’t apply to every situation. The advantage of this it allows morals to evaluated more critically. It follows set laws of the universe and not on the individual, making decisions easier.  Most people have absolutism beliefs on something or other, such as how to treat others, the golden rule or religious beliefs.  When looking at relativism, one view is that ethical values vary from culture to culture and from time period to time period. “Ethical absolutists have never been able to establish a solid foundation or justification on which a universal set of values can be built” (Chaffee, 2016, page 422). However, arguments or cons of this are that we make theories about the world and after discussing them amongst each other we come to decide on the most rational theory. Also, it is said that because we belief in absolute moral standards that we believe in making justified moral judgments. So, it is thought with good reason that if ethical relativism was true we would not be justified in making moral judgements.  Another con is relativism denies us of the means to raise moral objections against social customs that are a cultural norm, such as slavery, genocide or terrorist activities.  While ethical absolutism gives us a subjective satisfaction and rational explanations. It also allows us to criticize our own society’s values and sets standards. Descriptive ethics is what is the case, it is ethical beliefs that are not evaluated to find if they are accurate or appropriate. They involve the observing all cultures and societies moral standards that advocate or forbid different types of actions. So it can be said that this is linked to ethical relativisms view. Whereas, normative ethic is what ought to be accepted and become the cultural norm. It is about virtues, what is ethically right or wrong, therefore it is linked to ethical absolutism in that reference. Many have varying views and opinions on which is ethically correct. It is necessary to have ethical absolutism, we all to some extent allow ethical relativism to be part of our everyday ethical decisions.

Classmate 2

There are some pros to Ethical Egoism.  Ethical egoism encourages self-awareness. The benefits of having this trait in one’s life include a higher level of emotional intelligence, greater listening and empathy skills, along with improved critical thinking. This combination of factors allows for better decisions to be made, which leads to stronger communication and better relationships. Also, there are more opportunities for personal improvement. If you focus on a path involving ethical egoism, then your self-interests become the top priority. Instead of striving to push others forward, you’re working toward making yourself better in some way. A lot of people need to think this way, instead of always feeling the need to make others happy. If you care more for yourself then the happiness will follow.  Furthermore, everyone would have an opportunity to provide for themselves. Ethical egoism is an approach that says what you think or feel are the best motivators to keep you productive. You’re effectively the salesperson of your own life, earning what you believe is your full potential every day. It eliminates the idea of a safety net because the only person you can depend upon is yourself, but then society restructures itself so that every individual has opportunities to pursue their definition of success.  Ethical egoism allows people to implement self-care routines. When you start putting yourself first, then the first word in your vocabulary becomes “no.” That makes it a lot easier for you to begin working toward the goals you have in life because others are not directing your footsteps. When you eliminate the control of others, then it becomes easier to prioritize your to-do list each take. Knowing what tasks are the most essential to complete helps you to achieve a goal faster. 

Some cons of Ethical Egoism are listed here. It is an approach that would create a self-centered society. One of the principal tenets of ethical egoism is that no one else looks after your personal needs except you. That means everyone, including people in families, is pursuing a reflection of their self-interest. This is not good because then you neglect family, marriages, friendships and so on. You care more for your needs then someone else's.  There would be a loss of empathy in society with ethical egoism. Implementing a society focused on ethical egoism would cause us to lose sight of our current culture of empathy.  

Pros of Ethical Altruism are Helping other people can make you happy and having a clean conscience. It can also make the world a much better place. There's more of a feeling of community and it may reduce risk for poverty. It is normalized with human rights and values and can increase your overall acceptance in society. Lastly, Altruism may help you to find new friends

Cons of Ethical Altruism are you may neglect your own needs and desires while worrying about everyone else. Altruism may lead to financial problems. You may get exploited by false friends, because you trust so many people. And you get out of life what you tolerate.