Naslov
Protagoras' Moral Relativism

Autori
Lunić, Anita

Vrsta, podvrsta i kategorija rada
Sažeci sa skupova, sažetak, ostalo

Skup
XIII. Mediteranski korijeni filozofije

Mjesto i datum
Split, Hrvatska, 04.04.2019. - 06.04.2019

Vrsta sudjelovanja
Poster

Vrsta recenzije
Podatak o recenziji nije dostupan

Ključne riječi
moral relativism, Protagoras, ethics, metaethics

Sažetak
It is well known Protagoras (as well as Herodotus) supported some sort of moral relativism. Even though we all seem to understand what relativism is about, it is a slippery concept. Generally speaking, we can say that relativism is a position that “[s]tatements in a certain domain can be deemed correct or incorrect only relative to some framework” (Richard Bett). Similarly, we can say that moral relativists claim that moral truth or moral justification depends upon society and/or culture (as a framework). In order to analyze Protagoras position it is useful to differentiate those variants of moral relativism: 1. Descriptive moral relativism claims, based on empirical data (actual moral beliefs of peoples and individuals in different societies and cultures), there are different moral beliefs in different societies. An important aspect is a belief that differences in moral beliefs outweigh similarities. 2. Metaethical moral relativists claim that moral statements are not absolutely true or justifiable but relative to a particular framework (e.g. culture). 3. Normative moral relativism is concerned with how we ought to behave based on the relativist assumption. It is mostly concerned with the question of tolerance. This differentiation provides a framework for analyzing Protagoras position as it is described in Plato’s dialogues Theaetetus and Protagoras as well as in other sources (e.g. in Aristotle’s writings). This discussion will focus on: (i) claims about different moral beliefs in different societies, (ii) claims about a different understanding of (what is regarded as a) moral fact in different societies, and (iii) a discussion about the justification and consequences of moral relativism. Last but not least, I will answer the question about the compatibility of the views expressed in Theaetetus (undoubtedly relativist) and Protagoras (sometimes argued to express a sort of moral objectivism).

Izvorni jezik
Engleski

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