The title of this lecture is a contradiction. If an individual states there are absolutely no absolutes they have fatally contradicted their own statement because they are making an absolute proposition affirming a universal non-absolutism. Therefore it is impossible that relativism is true. So where do we go from here? The next question is, if there are absolute propositions with exceptions are there moral absolutes? The problem may be in the way we are defining our terms. Example: the author of the textbook uses the term kill and shows that there are exceptions to the absolute not to kill; the proposition we should never kill is then defined by the textbook as a “near” absolute. The problem is the author never defines the term kill.
The problem I have with the term kill is that it is too general. Does kill refer only to humans or does it include all life, such as, insects, cattle, birds, and fish? There is no doubt that moral absolutes are a reality which I have demonstrated by proving relativism is absolutely false, There are exception to moral “absolutes” because we have been to general when defining our ethical terms. The first order of business when defining moral absolutes is to be specific about our proposition and terms. What do we mean by kill? Does kill mean to take any life, a specific type of life? What is the difference between a convicted mass murderer and a war hero? Each has killed yet one is condemned and the other praised. This would indicate the term kill is not specific enough to get at the heart of societies desire to punish those who “kill”.
So the problem is that kill may not be the word we are looking for, or we can simply define it in a more specific manner. So we can ask: is it absolutely unethical to extinguish human life for pleasure? The answer is yes. Is it morally acceptable to force another human being to work without pay until they collapse and die because of the color of their skin, religion, nationality, or gender? The answer is no. It is at this point that if we were to say these acts are acceptable, and these acts have no real meaning within themselves, that the fabric of human relationships and existence dissolve. There are some things we are not capable of explaining but the reality is fundamental for human life to flourish..
Lying: Is it ever ok to lie or sometimes necessary to lie? Yes it is. Example: Robbers break into your home and demand to know where the rest of your family is, you lie and say they are out of town on a trip when they are hiding under the bed. So what do we mean by lying? The concern over lying is more than just stating something that is false, it is deceiving someone in order to take unfair advantage or avoid a just punishment. Example: a man lies to his wife about working late so he can go out partying with his new female friend. The intention of the lie is to take advantage of his wife's trust in order to violate it.
Moral propositions require us to avoid being too general concerning the terms we use in our statements. If I ask my wife where my keys are and she tells me “over there”, she has answered my question but has told me nothing helpful about where my keys are. If she tells me the keys are on the counter next to the coffee pot, I will find me keys. If you want to find moral truth you are going to have to define your terms and if you are engaged in a conversation over moral questions make sure the individual(s) you are speaking with are all defining the terms in the same way. Example: A vegan might use the term killing to include cows, chickens, and fish, but you are thinking of the word kill as in taking only human life.
Absolutes are unavoidable but not always obvious. We have to think through what it means to be human, why being human matters or if it truly does matter. If being human has significance then so does our words and actions. If human existence is pointless and without meaning then so are our words and actions. Remember the laws of logic and the law of excluded middle? The law of excluded middle says there is no middle ground and when it comes to the value of human life, our words and action, they ultimately have meaning and value or they ultimately do not. There is no middle ground.
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