Whilst sitting in an Ethics lesson at school today the contrast between Absolutism (some may call it Objectivism) and Cultural and Moral Relativism came into the foreground as the following question was asked:
“If a child is kept in an enclosed space until it is twenty years of age and the first thing it sees on being released is the murder of another human being then will it recognise the murder as being wrong?”
A girl sitting to my left in the front row quite laboriously tried to explain that the person witnessing the murder would know that it was wrong because of a distinct feeling that it just was.
At this point I jumped in all smiles; “Well that’s another one for the absolutists! Welcome to the club!” She was horrified and quite hastily tried to explain in many words that she was a relativist. Both the teacher and I tried to explain that what she had just said was no where close to being relativist. In doing so she got rather frustrated and the class moved on.
Upon the screen appeared a photograph of the Jews during their time in the concentration camps that existed aroundEurope under Hitler last century. Right away that old hatred of the Nazis became evident in every member of that class, about fifteen of us in all. The inevitable question fell from the teacher’s lips:
“Was the holocaust right for the Nazis?”
Straight away the whole of the class, most atheists, lifted their voices – the noise was nigh on deafening! Eventually, when tempers had cooled, each of us who wished to speak took turns. Each one said that the Nazis should have felt guilty, they knew what they were doing was wrong, that murdering thousands of people could not possibly be ok regardless of the culture they were in.
Just before I was given the floor the teacher, a marvellous woman who has a very simple but effective way with words, reminded the class that the Nazis, according to Cultural Relativism not only believed that they were not committing any crimes but that they were actually doing the right thing!
I was the last to speak as I tend to make many points, all of which I make sure to back up as I do not appreciate it when others fail to do so.
As I looked about at the faces of my class mates I could not help but smile. “I had no idea that people could, who just half an hour ago said that absolutism was ludicrous, so quickly change there mind!”
I tried to explain that it is evident that there is absolute of right and wrong set by God the most High. That is why they were so repulsed and angered by the actions of Hitler – a man who ignored his conscience and in the end gave in to his bitterness and hatred.
After the lesson I made the passing comment to my teacher that I was surprised at the amount of people who were absolutists, all be it in denial. She said that the same thing happens every year. It seems that God really did write his laws on our hearts.
Sword of the Spirit UK 
Absolutism =/= Christian teachings.
Please stop using me to explain everything. It’s more annoying than those idiots who repressed entrie nations because ‘I said so’.
Lets change the first experiment a bit:
We let the child out and he sees a naked woman, laid on a rug. Might he get aroused? Might he figure out how to have sex with her (and not stick it in her nostril or ear etc)? Yes – just like any animal knows how to have sex without being taught (even if it requires strange modes of courtship or unusual positions!).
Does it mean that instinct is ‘absolute’? No – it has a biological explanation. Why would it be any different for what you feel when you think about killing people?
If a species had no issues with killing itself, it wouldn’t exist. If an organism couldn’t defend itself from other tribes, it would get wiped out. If a species couldn’t identify an enemy tribe it would be problematic. I’m saying there is probably a biological basis to what we feel, however what we feel can be influenced by our belief/knowledge.
Bottom Line:
“Was the holocaust right for the Nazis?”
The students who were asked the question weren’t influenced in the way the Nazis were, so asking the students doesn’t prove how the Nazi’s felt. If it were a fair experiment, the students wouldn’t be aware it was experiment, they would be taught year in, year out that jews were dirty and inferior and were holding back the human race and that students were superior. Then before they turned on the gas, the students would be asked if they thought they were doing the right thing.
Do you really think the KKK thought they were doing the wrong thing when they burned blacks?
Some explanations as to why the students answered in the same way: look up the Asch conformity experiment and cognitive dissonance (if you aren’t already aware).