Ethical Pluralism as a Framework for Discussing Moral
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Transcript Ethical Pluralism as a Framework for Discussing Moral
Ethical Pluralism as a Framework
for Discussing Moral Disagreement
Lawrence M. Hinman
University of San Diego
[email protected]
7/17/2015
©Lawrence M. Hinman
http://ethics.acusd.edu/values/
1
Introduction
This presentation arises out of two distinct
sources:
In ethics, I have been interested in
sketching out a middle ground between
absolutism and relativism.
In teaching, I have been interested in
exploring ways in which we visualize
knowledge.
7/17/2015
©Lawrence M. Hinman
http://ethics.acusd.edu/values/
2
Between Relativism and
Absolutism
As a teacher, I found that neither
relativism nor absolutism was
satisfactory.
I found myself looking for something in
between these two extremes
7/17/2015
©Lawrence M. Hinman
http://ethics.acusd.edu/values/
3
Ethical Relativism
Ethical relativism has several important insights:
We should not pass judgment on practices in
other cultures when we don’t understand
them
Sometimes reasonable people may differ on
what’s morally acceptable
7/17/2015
©Lawrence M. Hinman
http://ethics.acusd.edu/values/
4
Ethical Relativism: Limitations
Presupposes an epistemological
solipsism
Is unhelpful in dealing with overlaps of
cultures--precisely where we need help.
– Commerce and trade
– Media
– World Wide Web
Is self-defensive: if we can’t judge
others, neither can they judge us
7/17/2015
©Lawrence M. Hinman
http://ethics.acusd.edu/values/
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Ethical Relativism:
Solipsism
7/17/2015
Sometimes we say that we
can’t judge other cultures
because we can’t fully
understand them.
Do we need full
understanding to judge
something?
Do we even have full
understanding of ourselves?
Would this eliminate
anthropology as a discipline?
Does it deny a main goal of
multiculturalism?
©Lawrence M. Hinman
http://ethics.acusd.edu/values/
6
Ethical Relativism:
Overlapping Cultures, 1
Ethical relativism
suggests that we let
each culture live as
it sees fit
This is only feasible
when cultures don’t
have to interact with
one another.
7/17/2015
©Lawrence M. Hinman
http://ethics.acusd.edu/values/
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Ethical Relativism:
Overlapping Cultures, 2
The challenge of the
coming century is
precisely overlapping
cultures:
– Multinational corporations
– International media--BBC,
MTV, CNN
– International sports-Olympics
– World Wide Web
7/17/2015
©Lawrence M. Hinman
http://ethics.acusd.edu/values/
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Ethical Relativism:
Overlapping Cultures, 3
The actual situation
in today’s world is
much closer to the
diagram at the right.
7/17/2015
©Lawrence M. Hinman
http://ethics.acusd.edu/values/
9
Ethical Relativism:
A Self-Defensive Position
Ethical relativism maintains that we
cannot make moral judgments about
other cultures
The corollary of this is that we are
protected in principle against the
judgments made by other cultures
Shares this characteristic with
absolutism
7/17/2015
©Lawrence M. Hinman
http://ethics.acusd.edu/values/
10
Ethical Absolutism
Absolutism comes in many
versions--including the
divine right of kings
Absolutism is less about
what we believe andmore
about how we believe it
Common elements:
– There is a single Truth
– Their position embodies that
truth
7/17/2015
©Lawrence M. Hinman
http://ethics.acusd.edu/values/
11
Ethical Absolutism
Ethical absolutism gets some things
right
– We need to make judgments (at least
sometimes)
– Certain things are intolerable
But it gets some things wrong,
including:
– Our truth is the truth
– We can’t learn from others
7/17/2015
©Lawrence M. Hinman
http://ethics.acusd.edu/values/
12
Ethical Pluralism
Combines insights of both relativism and
absolutism:
– The central challenge: how to live together
with differing and conflicting values
– Fallibilism: recognizes that we might be
mistaken
– Sees disagreement as a possible strength:
• checks and balances analogy
7/17/2015
©Lawrence M. Hinman
http://ethics.acusd.edu/values/
13
Ethical Pluralism, 2
Ethical pluralism offers three categories to
describe actions:
Prohibited: those actions which are not seen
as permissible at all
– Absolutism sees the importance of this
Tolerated: those actions and values in which
legitimate differences are possible
– Relativism sees the importance of this
Ideal: a moral vision of what the ideal society
would be like
7/17/2015
©Lawrence M. Hinman
http://ethics.acusd.edu/values/
14
Ethical Pluralism, 3
For each action or
policy, we can place
it in one of three
regions:
– Ideal--Center
– Permitted--Middle
• Respected
• Tolerated
– Prohibited--Outside
7/17/2015
©Lawrence M. Hinman
http://ethics.acusd.edu/values/
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Five Questions
What is the present state?
What is the ideal state?
What is the minimally acceptable state?
How do we get from the present to the
minimally acceptable state?
How do we get from the minimum to the
ideal state?
7/17/2015
©Lawrence M. Hinman
http://ethics.acusd.edu/values/
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Developing a Moral Stance
Here’s a way of visualizing these issues:
Flash Animation
7/17/2015
©Lawrence M. Hinman
http://ethics.acusd.edu/values/
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What is the present state?
1) Overall, the actual state of race and
ethnicity in American society is:
–
–
–
–
–
a)
b)
c)
d)
e)
Excellent
Very good
Good
Poor
Terrible
2) List three important facts that support
your evaluation in #1
– a)
– b)
– c)
7/17/2015
©Lawrence M. Hinman
http://ethics.acusd.edu/values/
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What is the present state?--#2
#3. What are the three most important
issues facing us in regard to race and
ethnicity today?
– a)
– b)
– c)
7/17/2015
©Lawrence M. Hinman
http://ethics.acusd.edu/values/
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What is the minimally
acceptable state?
What are the minimum conditions
necessary for a just society in regard to
race and ethnicity? List at least three
characteristics or conditions.
– #1
– #2
– #3
7/17/2015
©Lawrence M. Hinman
http://ethics.acusd.edu/values/
20
What is the ideal state?
What are the ideal conditions
necessary for a just society in regard to
race and ethnicity? List at least three
characteristics or conditions.
– #1
– #2
– #3
7/17/2015
©Lawrence M. Hinman
http://ethics.acusd.edu/values/
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How should we get from the present to
the minimally acceptable state?
How should we get from the actual
state to the minimally acceptable
state? List specific ways of getting
from the actual state of society to the
minimal conditions listed earlier.
– Examples: laws, taxes, regulations,
protests, civil disobedience
7/17/2015
©Lawrence M. Hinman
http://ethics.acusd.edu/values/
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How should we get from the
present to the ideal state?
How should we get from the actual
state to the ideal state? List specific
ways of getting from the actual state of
society to the ideal conditions listed
above.
– Examples: Public relations campaigns,
education, tax incentives, laws
7/17/2015
©Lawrence M. Hinman
http://ethics.acusd.edu/values/
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References
This presentation is available at:
– http://ethics.acusd.edu/presentations/Duke99/index.htm
An example of this approach in a course
may be found at:
– http://ethics.acusd.edu/socialethics/
7/17/2015
©Lawrence M. Hinman
http://ethics.acusd.edu/values/
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Developing Moral Common
Ground
Goals
Understanding
– ourselves
– others
– the issue
Common Ground
– agreement where appropriate
– living with some disagreements
– changing the situation
7/17/2015
©Lawrence M. Hinman
http://ethics.acusd.edu/values/
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Three Categories
Required. What do you think everyone
should minimally accept from your
position?
Permitted. What do you think are
acceptable areas of disagreement?
Forbidden. What do you think must be
forbidden?
7/17/2015
©Lawrence M. Hinman
http://ethics.acusd.edu/values/
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