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Moral Pluralism

Moral Pluralism is the notion that various conflicting values may all be equally valid and worthy of respect.

Moral Pluralism

Moral pluralism is the idea that there can be conflicting moral views that are each worthy of respect.

Moral pluralists tend to be open-minded when faced with competing viewpoints. They analyze issues from several moral points of view before deciding and taking action.

Moral pluralists believe that many moral issues are extremely complicated. Thus, no single philosophical approach will always provide all the answers.

For example, assume a building is on fire. A woman has the opportunity to rush inside and save the children trapped in the burning building. But in doing this she may die, and leave her own child an orphan. A moral pluralist would conclude that there is no definitive way to decide which is the better course of moral action. Indeed, moral pluralism declares that it is sometimes difficult to choose between competing values.

So, moral pluralism occupies a sensible middle ground between “there is only one right answer”  as moral absolutism says, and “there is no wrong answer” as moral relativism claims.

Moral Absolutism

Moral Absolutism

Moral Absolutism is a form of deontology that asserts that certain actions are intrinsically right or wrong.

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Moral Relativism

Moral Relativism

Moral Relativism asserts that moral standards are culturally-defined and therefore it may be impossible to determine what is truly right or wrong.

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Values

Values

Values are society’s shared beliefs about what is good or bad and how people should act.

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