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Ethics - Universalism and Relativism

The document discusses the concepts of ethical universalism and relativism. Universalism proposes that there are universally valid moral principles that apply to all people and societies, while relativism holds that moral requirements are subject to the principles accepted by a particular society or culture. The document uses the example of a beer turnstile campaign in Brazil to illustrate how universalism and relativism could view different aspects of the campaign. It analyzed whether the campaign's promotion of alcohol consumption and use of incentives for recycling would be considered ethical from both perspectives.

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Nikhil Prem
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183 views5 pages

Ethics - Universalism and Relativism

The document discusses the concepts of ethical universalism and relativism. Universalism proposes that there are universally valid moral principles that apply to all people and societies, while relativism holds that moral requirements are subject to the principles accepted by a particular society or culture. The document uses the example of a beer turnstile campaign in Brazil to illustrate how universalism and relativism could view different aspects of the campaign. It analyzed whether the campaign's promotion of alcohol consumption and use of incentives for recycling would be considered ethical from both perspectives.

Uploaded by

Nikhil Prem
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© © All Rights Reserved
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ETHICAL UNIVERSALISM AND

RELATIVISM
IEBE MODULE 2 ASSIGNMENT

Submitted by: NIKHIL P


Batch C
BEER TURNSTILE ANTARTICA
▪ Recently, carnival-goers in Rio, Brazil,
were able to get a free train ride home
in exchange for their empty beer cans
at the metro station turnstiles

▪ This was done as a marketing


campaign to promote their brand
‘Antarctica’, while at the same time
encouraged people to recycle their
trash

▪ The campaign also led to a steep fall


in drunk and drive cases

▪ By drawing certain parallels with this


campaign we can explain some
aspects of Universalism and Relativism
UNIVERSALISM v/s RELATIVISM
 Proposes the existence of universal  View that there are no universally
valid principles which apply to all valid moral principles that apply to
individuals and societies everyone
 Emphasizes need for a common  Moral requirements are subject to
moral code for all the aspects of life, principles or conventions that a
irrespective of society and culture particular society accepts
 Universalism is the ultimate in moral  Relativism says that we are an
continuum, the ideal towards which evolving society, and hence is the
ev ery civilization aspires to reach more practical approach

▪ An example: Suppose a person witnesses a hit and run case. If they believe in
Universalism, they will report the wrongdoer even if it was one of their closest family
members. On the other hand, a person who follows relativism might make an
exception.
▪ The central theme of the Malayalam movie Narasimham (2000) portrays the conflict
between these two schools of thought.
UNIVERSALISM AND RELATIVISM
IN BEER TURNSTILE ANTARTICA CAMPAIGN
 Drinking and driving, which is a universally accepted crime, reduced by 43% on the day of
the carnival. This aspect of the campaign is justified in terms of both Universalism and
Relativism.
 The leftover beer cans were sent for recycling. Since recycling is for the good of the society
as a whole, it is supported by both Universalism and Relativism.
 Since this campaign ultimately promotes alcohol consumption, this aspect does not go
down well with some cultures and societies. In fact, there is complete liquor ban in some
parts of the world. Hence, the campaign is not ethical in some cultures from the relativistic
viewpoint.
 Also, in this campaign, people have been given an incentive to alter their behavior such
that it promotes recycling. In the absence of the incentive, there is no effort towards
recycling. This is akin to bribing the carnival goers. In Universalism this aspect cannot be
justified, as people are not doing the right thing for moral reasons, rather for personal gain.
 But in case of relativism, this aspect can be justified, as there are societies where
individualism is much more prevalent than collectivism, and it is acceptable for individuals
to act on their selfish needs.
References

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LjPUAiqxFVU
 https://www.coolaustralia.org/at-rio-carnival-beer-cans-recycled-in-
exchange-for-train-rides/

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