PHIL 2070 3.0 INTRODUCTION TO ETHICS
FIRST ESSAY ASSIGNMENT: ETHICAL RELATIVISM
Assignment Distributed Jan. 20, 2014 — Due Feb. 3, 2014
Assignment:
Identify three features/ claims/ implications/ commitments of the normative ethical relativist
position that you think make it a philosophically attractive view of the nature of morality. In
other words, identify three claims that ethical relativists make that present the theory in a good
light, three features of the theory that might make someone endorse it, and that make it a
promising ethical theory. Explain why ethical relativism has the three features you have picked
out. Why do relativists believe these three things follow from ethical relativism? Why have you
chosen the three features you have chosen? In other words, explain why you think these are
features a good ethical theory would have, or why these claims or commitments are ones a
good explanation of morality would include.
Identify three features/ claims/ implications/ commitments of the normative ethical relativist
position that you think make it a philosophically unattractive view of the nature of morality. In
other words, identify three claims that ethical relativists make that present the theory in a poor
light, three features of the theory that make it problematic, and make it unlikely to be a true or
promising ethical theory. Explain why ethical relativism has the three features or implications
you have picked out. Why do the critics of ethical relativism believe these three things follow
from ethical relativism? In other words, why are these three features or claims implications of
accepting ethical relativism as one’s theory of morality? Why have you chosen the three
features you have chosen? In other words, explain why you think a theory that contains these
features, or a theory that has these implications, is a poor moral theory. Explain why you think
having these features provides a reason to reject ethical relativism.
Students are not expected or required to do independent research for this assignment, but
consulting sources beyond the course text is permitted. Remember: the only thing you have to
do to ensure that you don’t commit plagiarism and violate York’s policy on academic honesty is
to cite any sources you have consulted! Specific formats for providing citations to outside
material will provide all the information necessary to check the reference: author, title, location
(in a book, journal, newspaper, website with date accessed and url), date and page number.
You will not be penalized if your citations do not follow a particular style, so long as they are
complete and make clear when you are quoting another person’s words or borrowing (e.g.,
paraphrasing) their ideas.
Grading: The assignment is worth 20% of your final course grade.
This is a writing assignment designed to allow you to demonstrate your understanding of
ethical relativism. It need not be written in typical essay format, but rather should be structured
so as to ensure that you have answered all the sub-questions that need to be addressed. You
may find the use of headings or section numbers helpful in identifying the sub-parts of your
answer. Your writing should be clear, and grammar should be correct. In other words, you
should write as clearly and carefully as you would in a typical essay assignment, even if you do
not present the material in that format.
Submission Instructions:
Please upload a copy of your assignment to “turnitin” on the Moodle site for the course.
Submissions will be checked for plagiarism. Please also provide a hard copy to your TA for
grading. This copy will be returned with comments. Essays must be turned in by 3:30 pm on the
due date (either directly to your TA or in the Essay Drop Box located outside the Philosophy
Department on the 4th floor of the south tower of the Ross building).