Week 1 PHIL102
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Cypress College *
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102
Subject
Philosophy
Date
Jan 9, 2024
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3
Uploaded by kerencastellon14
Week 1 - Relativism
Solomon Asch" experiment
1. What was the struggle of the subject in the experiment?
The struggle of the subject was to keep his own perspective and judgment despite
collective compliance. The volunteer was unaware that the other participants in the
experiment were actors who provided incorrect answers.
2. Why do you think that the subject changed the answer in the experiment?
The subject modified their response to fit the group, which were actors. The subject was
given the right answer on the first question but changed it after the rest of the group was
saying the same answer and being wrong. He felt social pressure to adhere to the
group opinion in order to avoid standing out or being perceived as a deviant. We have a
tremendous need to be accepted and loved by others as sociality. Going against the
group consensus can be unsettling and lead to feelings of rejection.
3. Have you ever changed your opinion like the subject in the experiment (where you
knowingly denied an objective fact) or have you seen examples of others (e.g., family,
friends, coworkers) doing this in real life? Why do you think people change their own
point of view knowing that it is wrong?
Yes, I have. As a child, I struggled in school with a learning disability and got out of my
class twice a week for speech. During the session, there were 4 of us in total. They
would go through words like nouns, adjectives, and verbs, and as a group, we would
pick the right word that would go in the right category. The first person would pick their
answer, and most students would pick the same one. I would sometimes pick my
answer, thinking it was right, but there was a time when I would as pick the same
answer as the rest of the group because I felt out of place, wanting to fit in. People
change their own points because there feel social pressure to conform to the beliefs and
actions of the group. Individuals may adjust their own point of view to conform with the
majority, even if they know it is erroneous, out of fear of standing out or being rejected.
Question about the reading
1. What are the 6 main claims of relativism (Chapter 2, Section 2.2)?
These are the six claims.
1.
Different societies have different moral codes.
2.
The moral code of a society determines what is right within that society; so if
society says that a certain action is right, then that action is right, at least in that
society.
3.
There is no objective standard that can be used to judge one society’s code as
better than another’s. There are no moral truths that hold for all people at all
times.
4.
The moral code of our own society has no special status; it is but one among
many.
5.
It is arrogant for us to judge other cultures. We should always be tolerant of
them.
6.
Holds that the norms of a culture reign supreme within the bonds of the culture
itself.
2. Name three possible consequences of relativism (Chapter 2, Section 2.4)?
Here are the three consequences mentioned:
1.
Inability to criticize other societies: According to Cultural Relativism, one cannot
claim that the customs of other societies are morally inferior to their own. This
idea seeks to encourage tolerance while discouraging judgment purely based on
differences. This would, however, suggest that more destructive actions, such as
political oppression or human rights violations, cannot be ethically critiqued or
condemned, as this would require a universal or objective standard of
comparison.
2.
Inability to criticize one's own society: Cultural Relativism suggests that the moral
code of a society determines what is right within that society. As a result, if an
activity conforms to the code of one's society, it cannot be judged wrong. This
discourages people from critiquing or questioning their own moral code, limiting
their ability to progress or learn from other civilizations.
3.
Doubt in the concept of moral progress: Cultural Relativism casts doubt on the
idea of moral progress, which involves replacing old practices or traditions with
new and improved ones. If moral judgments are purely based on cultural
standards, there is no objective test to decide whether the new ways are superior
or represent genuine development. Cultural relativism opposes making
transcultural judgments and views social transformation as valid only within the
context of the goals of a specific society.
3. What are some values that seem to be shared by all cultures (Chapter 2, Section
2.6)?
The reading shares that there are some moral rules that all societies must embrace
because they share the same. All cultures are different but two rules are lying and
murder. Honesty is seen as a vital value. Communication would be exceedingly difficult,
if not impossible, without a universal assumption of veracity. While there may be times
when lying is acceptable, honesty is preferred in most situations. Murder is prohibited:
the law against murder is deemed fundamental for the survival of civilization. A society
where murder is tolerated would result in perpetual dread and lack of safety. The
restriction against murder is an essential aspect of civilization. While cultures may differ
in their perception and implementation of these principles, the underlying presence of
these shared values.
Ethics Question
In this scenario, lying is determined by the ethical theory used and the individual
circumstances. Ethical theories are evaluated based on their capacity to answer real-life
moral dilemmas. Depending on the ethical standpoint used, lying to the prospective
killer might be justifiable in the particular scenario. According to consequentialist ethics,
saving a life outweighs the act of lying, but deontological ethics conders lying ethically
wrong regardless of the results. Virtue ethics could consider lying detrimental to one’s
character but may allow exceptions to prevent harm. Personal experiences and beliefs
impact people’s opinions on morally justifiable lies, such as defending someone’s
well-being.
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