Moral Relativism

Moral Relativism refers to the idea that what we understand to be right or wrong is not fixed or universal.

There is no such thing as 'good in itself'.

Cultural relativism - what is right or wrong depends on the culture

For example in Islamic countries such as Saudi Arabia it is prohibited to drink alcohol and eat pork however in more secular countries such as the UK and USA, it is not - it is actually more common to do these things.

Descriptive relativism - different cultures and societies have differing ethical systems and so morality is relative.

For example, in Texas capital punishment is still used however in other states it is seen as immoral and is banned.

Diversity thesis - different cultures and societies differ in terms of what they perceive moral acts to be. There is no true morality because of the diversity across and within cultures.

For example, in America the death penalty exists in several states however in Sweden, where it's more loberal, the maximum prison…