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Volume :24 Issue : 94 2006
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Criticizing Ethical Relativism (in Arabic)
Auther : Aladdin Yaqub
In this paper I consider two theses for ethical relativism. The first asserts that ethical reality is one and common to all social groups but ethical judgment is relative due to the different perspectives of the various social groups. The second asserts that ethical reality itself is relative: Every social group has its own and unique ethical reality. I argue that the first thesis is contradictory conflicting moral judgments entail conflicting descriptions of the same reality. I then consider three problems that challenge the second thesis of ethical relativism. They are, respectively, the problem of the dual membership, the problem of the second person, and the problem of the militant society. I show that, while ethical relativism passes successfully the challenge of the first problem, the second problem uncovers a conflict between ethical relativism and principle of philosophical analysis called the principle of material adequacy. Finally I argue that the third problem shows that there is an internal conflict between different principles of ethical relativism.