Moral relativism

why moral relativism is wrong and why we must defeat it

If all moral claims are relative to culture then so is that very claim. Why should a non-relativist accept a relativist’s injunction not to judge? They won’t, because it’s nonsense. As Roger Scruton noted:

“A writer who says that there are no truths, or that all truth is ‘merely relative,’ is asking you not to believe him. So don’t.”

Relativism, he... See more

Of Course Some Cultures Are Better Than Others

If no external standard exists, then honour killings and religious violence must count as valid, a legitimate part of the culture. When the Taliban shot Malala, they were enforcing their cultural rules. If you condemn them, you’re appealing to some universal principle that transcends culture. Once you’ve sided with Malala against the Taliban,... See more

Of Course Some Cultures Are Better Than Others

In any case, this simple moral logic is beside the point for relativists because they don’t actually believe their own doctrine. You wore a sombrero to a Halloween party? That’s cultural appropriation, says Jemima, draped in a keffiyeh on her way to a hate march. A white person in dreadlocks? The Oxford Union will treat it as a hate crime, yet when... See more

Of Course Some Cultures Are Better Than Others

Alex Spieldenner substack.com

Moral relativism is cancer. Moral relativism is cowardice. The inability to name an evil as evil…the unwillingness to state universal moral principles with confidence—these are symptoms of the declining wisdom of our civilization and the declining testosterone of our... See more

Christopher Cook substack.com

Let’s begin with a simple test that takes five seconds. Would you rather raise your daughter in Norway or Afghanistan? You already know the answer – everyone does. Some cultures are simply better for human flourishing. We know instinctively that South Korea produces happier, healthier people than North Korea. We can measure it empirically, too.

Of Course Some Cultures Are Better Than Others

“If all beliefs are equally true or historically contingent, if the belief in reason is simply an ethnocentric Western prejudice, then there is no superior moral position from which to judge even the most abhorrent practices—as well as, of course, no epistemological basis for postmodernism itself.”

Alexander C. Karp • The Technological Republic: The Sunday Times bestseller from the great minds behind Palantir

In an attempt to avoid saying anything that could be construed as moral judgment, they abdicated any claim to common sense.

Christine Emba • Rethinking Sex

A culture that lets you leave your religion is better than one that kills you for it. A culture that allows women to choose their husbands is better than one that marries them off at twelve. A culture that protects gay people is better than one that hangs them from cranes. A culture that investigates its own failures – slavery, exploitation – is... See more