Concept
Moral universalism
Overview
Moral universalism (also called moral objectivism) is the meta-ethical position that some system of ethics, or a universal ethic, applies universally, that is, for "all similarly situated individuals", regardless of culture, disability, race, sex, religion, nationality, sexual orientation, gender identity, or any other distinguishing feature. Moral universalism is opposed to moral nihilism and moral relativism. However, not all forms of moral universalism are absolutist, nor are they necessarily value monist; many forms of universalism, such as utilitarianism, are non-absolutist, and some forms, such as that of Isaiah Berlin, may be value pluralist.
In addition to the theories of moral realism, moral universalism includes other cognitivist moral theories, such as the subjectivist ideal observer theory and divine command theory, and also the non-cognitivist moral theory of universal prescriptivism.
Overview adapted from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0; see the article history for authors).
Possible passages
Found by search and not yet checked by a person; they may only mention the idea in passing.
Hence, in the conclusion of a syllogism we restrict a predicate to a certain object, after having thought it in the major in its whole extent under a certain condition. This complete quantity of the extent in relation to such a condition is called universality (universalitas). To this corresponds totality (universitas) of conditions in the synthesis of intuitions.
Immanuel Kant, The Critique of Pure Reason
States what Moral universalism is; the author is tied to Moral universalism in the knowledge graph.
Whatever is in conformity with the desires of any individual will, is, relatively to it, termed =good=; for instance, good food, good roads, a good omen; the contrary is called =bad=, and, in the case of living beings, =malicious=.
Arthur Schopenhauer, The Basis of Morality
States what Moral universalism is.
If now the maxims of rational beings are not by their own nature coincident with this objective principle, then the necessity of acting on it is called practical necessitation, i.e., duty. Duty does not apply to the sovereign in the kingdom of ends, but it does to every member of it and to all in the same degree.
Immanuel Kant, Fundamental Principles of the Metaphysic of Morals
States what Moral universalism is; the author is tied to Moral universalism in the knowledge graph.
Philosophers who discussed Moral universalism
Related ideas
- Rabbinic Judaism
- Book of Genesis
- Jonathan Haidt
- Human rights
- Immanuel Kant
- Ethnography
- Judaism
- Isaiah Berlin
- Jerusalem
- Anthropocentrism
- Maimonides
- Mishnah
- Monotheism
- Non-cognitivism
- Noam Chomsky
- Noah
- Oxford
- Linguistics
- Paris
- Groundwork of the Metaphysics of Morals
- Divine command theory
- Ten Commandments
- Rashi
- Talmud
Opposing perspectives
- Moral nihilism
- Culture
- Religion
- Race (human categorization)
- Sexual orientation
- Utilitarianism
- Moral absolutism
- Ethics
Place in the tradition
Part of Meaning of life.