American History: Natural Law Theorists vs. Statists (large government philosophers) Natural Law Theorists emphasize that we should not talk about how much money individuals ___________, but in terms of individual rights and the freedom to make as much money as you want and save, invest, give away, or spend it on whatever you want.    . Progressive-Statists and Marxist (socialists and communists) and Democratic Socialists disagree and say we should talk in terms of __________ and not individual liberty and freedom in order to help the poor in society by government taxing the rich and redistributing their wealth to the poor.  They believe that government should intervene because individuals cannot be trusted with their money. 

A lot of college students adopt moral relativism because they find this view to be more _________________  than other theories.  One problem with this reasoning is that _______________ might not be a virtue shared by any moral culture in the world–intolerance might be the primary virtue of every society.  In that case, it is unreasonable to use _____________ as a criterion for accepting relativism.   

On the basis of subjectivism, Adolf Hitler, Ted Bundy, Osama bin Laden, and Jeffrey Dahmer could be considered as moral as Mother Theresa of Calcutta because each of those four lived by their own moral standards (beliefs of right and wrong).

History of Natural Law Theory Φ “True law is right reason in agreement with nature:  it is of universal application, unchanging and everlasting; it summons to duty by its commands, and averts from wrongdoing by its prohibitions.  And it does not lay its commands or prohibitions upon good men in vain, though neither have any effect on the wicked – We cannot be freed from its obligations by senate or people, and we need not look outside ourselves for an expounder or interpreter of it.  And there will not be different laws of Rome and at Athens, or different laws now and in the future, but one eternal and unchangeable law will be valid for all nations and all times, and there will be one master and ruler, that is, God, over us all, for he is the author of this law, its promulgator, and its enforcing judge.  Whoever is disobedient is fleeing from himself and denying his human nature, and by reason of this very fact he still suffers the worst penalties, even if he escapes what is commonly considered punishment . . . (De Re Publica, III, xxii) ” Φ Which philosopher said this? 

If 51% of an Islamist (political Islamic) culture thinks it is morally correct to execute adulterous women, people who engage in same-sex sexual activity, and practice FGM, then people who adhere to this form of moral relativism say it is morally right for members of this culture to encourage FGM in young girls, execute adulterers and execute people who engage in same-sex sexual activity.  

The view that there are one or more universal moral principles or values that are valid for all people in all places (or at least have shown up in one place in history), is known as which of the following?

OBJECTIONS TO NATURAL LAW THEORY:  Naturalistic Evolution . If Darwin was right about the origins of human beings (naturalistic evolution) and everything about humans can be explained by matter rearranging, then it is easy to see how humans have unchanging human natures as well as the cognitive powers to discover this normative Natural Law that tells us how humans should behave (e.g., we should love our children and not eat them).  

OBJECTIONS TO NATURAL LAW THEORY:  Metaphysical view of Physicalism . Physical laws in chemistry and physics are prescriptive (or normative).  They tell us how things should be, or how things ought to be.

Book 9. Chapter 5:  “Relation of friendship to goodwill” (1167a1-10).  . Aristotle believes that goodwill is to be a beginning of friendship (as the pleasure of the eye is the beginning of love).

CONTEXT:  COVID-19 PANDEMIC: . On all forms of relativism (scientific, moral, religious), what decides reality is only what certain people believe.  The causes of those beliefs is irrelevant.  Only the existence of beliefs matters–reason and evidence have nothing to do anything for the relativist.   It does not matter if a person dreamed that kicking puppies is a good thing, or if a veterinarian cites studies about the harm to puppies is why s/he believes it is wrong.  The relativist only looks at what people believe–not how they believe things.     . On Marxist Relativism, the Party officials (e.g., Dr. Fauci and Dr. Birx) decide scientific truths–science does not decide scientific truths.   On Conventionalism, 51% of people of a culture decide if, for example, shutting down elementary schools is morally right or morally wrong.   On Subjectivism, individuals decide themselves if, for example, wearing a mask is morally right or wrong.  .  All of the above illustrates that relativism is not the common-sense view of reality (realism/objectivism), because most people believe in reason and the power of philosophy and rational argument to help us find the truth together.  What objection against all three forms of moral relativism (Marxist, Subjectivist, and Conventionalist) does this illustrate?