The fact that man knows right from wrong proves his intellectual superiority to other creatures; but the fact that he can do wrong proves his moral inferiority to any creature that cannot. - Mark Twain.
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This quote from Mark Twain concisely introduces an overview of the "isms" and their relation to morality. There may be a universal moral code or morality may be relative, but the only reason that philosophers continue to term "isms" is the need to explain humankind's propensity either to declare a moral absolute and then to break it himself or to see someone else break it and while doing so either to provide a logical justification or to blatantly act immorally. .
Cultural relativism does not attempt to resolve the varieties of moral opinions from around the globe, but rather embraces them. Relativism is based on the notion that there are no universal moral principles. The norm of the society in which one resides is the basis for morality in cultural relativism. One values things because they are a part of their world. Public opinion rather than private determines what is right and wrong for a particular set of people. Because there are no universal principles, it is unfair to judge another based on one's own in this line of thinking. While this is a popular theory among many non-philosophers, most philosophers reject this theory. .
Putting the theory into practice, Daniel Jonah Goldhagen, explores Nazi Germany in his essay, "Hitler's Willing Executioners". Cultural Relativism states that to kill the Jews under Hitler's power was the social norm and that explains why everyday Germans suddenly became murderers. However, it is also true that under Cultural Relativism we, as Americans infuriated by the events that are conspiring in Germany, are not supposed to judge what he is doing as morally wrong since there is a culture where it is morally right.
Similar to cultural relativism is ethical subjectivism.
The "isms" of Art In the later years of our history we have come to see art progress in many stages. These stages surround modern art. These stages are categorized into Realism, Impressionism, Post-Impressionism, Modernism, Cubism, Futurism, Constructivism, and Surrealism. Realism represents...
As an ism, ageism reflects a prejudice in society against older adults. ... Ageism, however, is different from other isms (sexism, racism etc.), for primarily two reasons. ... Second, ageism research rarely examines the interaction between ageism and other isms. ...
This achievement was of great importance to Shi"ism as a whole because this marked the first time since the time of Ali that a Shia imam was given political leadership of an entire Muslim state, also the Ismaili imams who were the Fatimid caliphs were treated as the official voice of Shi"ism. ...
Three Career Field Analysis Table of Contents Table of Contents .2 Accounting ................................................................3 Accounting 4 Marketing (Sales Manager) ...4 Marketing (Sales Manager) ...5 Marketing (Sales Manager) ...
he states that, "Unfortunately, since September 11, 2001, political leaders, diplomats and the media worldwide have been preoccupied with ism and, more recently, the invasion of Iraq. ism is certainly a matter of concern, but if it diverts our attention from the environmental trends undermining our future until it is too late to reverse them, Osama Bin Laden and his followers will have achieved their goal in ways they could not have imagined." ...
Imagine This . You are sitting at the dining table, in your special red chair, with an indispensable cup of tea in hand. You're daughter is sitting across from you, panicking about her next exam and gulping down a quick glass of orange juice before she dashes off to school. Sound like a normal morn...
Racism: An Individual Problem or a Social Problem? Is racism an individual problem, a social problem, or both? I can safely say that racism is a problem for both the individual and for society as a whole. In A Country of Strangers, David Shipler describes the "color line" as "intertwining itse...
