Moral absolutism
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'''Moral absolutism''' is the belief that there are [[Absolute truth|absolute standard]]s against which [[moral questions]] can be [[judged]], and that certain actions are right or wrong, devoid of the context of the act. "Absolutism" is often philosophically contrasted with [[moral relativism]], which is a belief that moral truths are relative to [[Society|social]], [[Culture|cultural]], [[History|historical]] or [[person]]al references, and to [[situational ethics]], which holds that the morality of an act depends on the context of the act.
Moral absolutists believe that [[moral]]s are inherent in the [[laws of the universe]], the [[nature of humanity]], the will or character of [[God]] or gods, or some other [[fundamental]] source. They regard actions as inherently [[morality|moral]] or [[Immorality|immoral]]. They might, for example, judge [[slavery]], [[war]], [[dictatorship]], the [[Capital punishment|death penalty]], or [[childhood abuse]] to be absolutely immoral regardless of the beliefs and goals of a culture that engages in these practices.
In a minority of cases, moral absolutism is taken to the more constrained position that actions are moral or immoral regardless of the circumstances in which they occur. Lying, for instance, would always be immoral, even if done to promote some other good (e.g., saving a life). This rare view of moral absolutism might be contrasted with moral [[consequentialism]]—the view that the morality of an action depends on the context or consequences of that action.
Modern [[human rights]] theory is a form of moral absolutism, usually based on an estimate of the nature of humanity and the essence of human nature. One such theory was constructed by [[John Rawls]] in his ''[[A Theory of Justice]]''.{{Fact|date=June 2008}}
==Moral absolutism and moral objectivism==
The difference between these positions is subtle. Absolutism can be seen as a stronger form of objectivism.
*"Moral absolutism: There is at least one principle that ought never to be violated." <ref name="PojmanDefense">Pojman, L. P. : A Defense of Ethical Objectivism (p. 50)</ref>
*"[[Moral objectivism]]: There is a fact of the matter as to whether any given action is morally permissible or impermissible: a fact of the matter that does not depend solely on social custom or individual acceptance (developed from <ref name="PojmanDefense"/>
==Moral absolutism and religion==
Presently moral absolutism may be understood in a strictly secular context in some quarters. However, many [[religion]]s have morally absolutist positions, regarding their system of morality as having been set by a [[deity]]. Therefore, they regard such a moral system as absolute, (usually) perfect, and unchangeable. Many philosophies also take a morally absolutist stance, arguing that the laws of morality are inherent in the nature of human beings, the nature of life in general, or the universe itself. For example, someone who believes absolutely in [[nonviolence]] considers it wrong to use violence even in self-defense. For another example, under some religious moral absolutist beliefs, homosexual behavior is considered fundamentally wrong, even in a monogamous relationship.
The historical character of religious belief is seen by some <ref>The End of Faith: Religion, Terror, and the Future of Reason. Sam Harris. W. W. Norton</ref> as grounds for criticism of religious moral absolutism. In Deuteronomy 15:12-15; Ephesians 6:9; Colossians 4:1; & I Timothy 6:1-2 the Bible recognizes and regulates the practice of keeping slaves. These passages have been historically interpreted as providing an endorsement of slavery. For example Jefferson Davis, president of the Confederate States of America remarked in a speech before the U.S. Senate that:
<blockquote>
"[Slavery] was established by decree of Almighty God...it is sanctioned in the Bible, in both Testaments, from Genesis to Revelation...it has existed in all ages, has been found among the people of the highest civilization, and in nations of the highest proficiency in the arts." <ref>Dunbar Rowland quoting Jefferson Davis, in "Jefferson Davis, Constitutionalist: His Letters, Papers and Speeches. J. J. Little & Ives Company, 1923, Page 286.</ref>
</blockquote>
Humanity has wrestled with questions of moral absolutism in religion for thousands of years. The notion of the dangers of judging good from evil is central in the story of the [[Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil]] in the book of [[Genesis]] from the [[Pentateuch]].
===Graded absolutism===
{{see|Moral dilemma}}
Many Christians regard Christian theology as teaching a ''hierarchy'' of moral absolutes <ref>{{cite web
|last=Holding
|first=James Patrick
|title=The Good Lie - Why is Rahab Praised for Lying?
|work=Tektonics.org
|url=http://www.tektonics.org/qt/tellalie.html
|accessdate=2007-12-27 }}</ref> — a view called ''graded absolutism.''<ref> {{cite web
|last=Burdette
|first=Dallas
|title=Biblical Situation Ethics or Graded Absolutism
|work=Freedominchrist.net
|url=http://www.freedominchrist.net/Sermons/Divorce%20and%20Remarriage/Graded%20Absolutism.htm
|accessdate=2007-12-27 }}</ref> Here, if there is a conflict between two absolutes, the duty to obey the higher one exempts one from the duty to the lower one. And the order is duty to God > duty to fellow humans > duty to property. {{Fact|date=June 2008}} The [[Greatest commandment]] is the cornerstone of this moral system. Under this system, [[Corrie ten Boom]] was morally justified to lie to [[Nazism|Nazis]] about the [[Jew]]s her family was hiding, because protecting lives is a higher moral value than telling the truth to [[murder]]ers. [[Norman Geisler]] defends this view in his book ''Christian Ethics'' (Baker Book House, 1981). <ref>[http://www.equip.org/site/c.muI1LaMNJrE/b.2718655/k.B2E7/DE198.htm Any Absolutes? Absolutely!], Norman L. Geisler, [[Christian Research Institute]]</ref>
==Moral absolutism and free will==
Semi-religious arguments for moral absolutism have to do with the relationship between [[free will]], choice, and morals. Some have argued that without free will, the universe is deterministic and therefore morally uninteresting (i.e., if all moral choices and moral behavior are determined by outside forces, there can be no need for any person to ponder morality), though this would depend on whether free choice is required for an action to be 'moral'. If free will exists, it stands to reason that the universe allows moral behavior {{Who|date=November 2007}}. From this, some believe this feature is integral to the universe's reason for being. A softer, more theological, line of reasoning is that God may 'need' to permit us to have choices, but leaves the concerns of those choices (and their consequences) up to the people making them {{Who|date=November 2007}}. In this case, moral absolutism is a subjective decision (i.e., free will must, by definition, include the freedom to choose what is moral).
These views are generally not accepted by those who deny free will. Some, in fact, deny free will and still accept moral absolutism—and argue that these two beliefs are inextricably tied {{Who|date=November 2007}}.
A primary criticism of moral absolutism regards how we come to know what the "absolute" morals are. The authorities that are quoted as sources of absolute morality are all subject to human interpretation, and multiple views abound on them. For morals to be truly absolute, they would have to have a universally unquestioned source, interpretation and authority. Therefore, so critics say, there is no conceivable source of such morals, and none can be called "absolute" {{Who|date=November 2007}}. So even if there are absolute morals, there will never be universal agreement on just what those morals are {{Fact|date=November 2007}}.
The philosopher [[Immanuel Kant]] was a promoter of moral absolutism. The philosopher [[Plato]] and his student, [[Aristotle]], also believed in universalism, opposing the [[moral relativism]] of the [[Sophists]].
==See also==
* [[Antinomianism]]
* [[Divine command theory]]
* [[Ethics]]
* [[Kantianism]]
* [[Morality]]
* [[Moral realism]]
* [[Moral universalism]]
* [[Moral dilemma]]
==Notes==
{{reflist}}
== External links ==
* [http://www.ucalgary.ca/~nurelweb/papers/other/monism-1.html]Christ in Creation and Ethical Monism; by Augustus Hopkins Strong, 1899.
{{Philosophy topics}}
[[Category:Philosophical terminology]]
[[Category:Social philosophy]]
[[Category:Ethics]]
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