Living with Relativism: Can We Find a Common Good in a Morally Diverse World” was the topic of the most recent Jepson Leadership Forum talk by philosopher Jesse Prinz.
Throughout the historical and anthropological record, we find striking examples of moral variation. The evidence suggests that human societies do not revolve around a shared stock of values, but rather vary on almost every imaginable dimension. Such variation has led to insights into the origins of morality, and it has helped researchers in psychology and neuroscience recognize that moral values have a basis in emotion rather than pure reason. Variation also poses a practical challenge. Societies are increasingly pluralistic, and international relations often bring together nations with opposing perspectives. We praise mutual respect, but the very psychological factors that underlie moral variation also tend to promote a degree of moral absolutism, and we see our moral adversaries as deplorably confused. We must find ways to cope with this predicament. Ironically, the search for a common good may begin with the recognition that, in some sense, there is no common good.
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