AS Philosophy - Absolutism and Relativism

Absolutism – a rule which is true in all situations; it is universal. Deontological (concerned with the act and not the outcome).

Strengths:

• Clear to understand
• Provides a universal code
• Easy to apply compared to relativism
• Allows us to have UDHR
• In some situations we instinctively end up taking an absolutist approach e.g. murder is wrong
• Objective – judgements are based on fixed rules which are part of an absolute and impartial system

Weaknesses:

•  What if it’s hard to apply to a certain situation? It depends on the circumstances
• Someone’s idea…