A Critical Overview of Moral Absolutism and Moral Relativism: A Meta-Ethical Approach

Abstract

In today's world, a dominant question in meta-ethics is whether morality is absolute or relative. The main intention of this work is to highlight the contradiction between the two moral frames (moral absolutism and moral relativism) in a critical context. Both moral absolutism and relativism play a vital role in the development of ethical theory. Moral relativism is a relatively new moral paradigm that challenges moral absolutism. The reason for the conflict between moral absolutism and relativism is based on whether there is a single criterion of morality or whether the moral criterion is relative. Moral absolutism holds that a single criterion of morality applies to everyone. While moral relativism rejects this view, it argues that no single moral criterion applies universally. Instead, moral standards differ from person to person and community to community. These two issues are not merely theoretical; they have practical implications for human rights, global justice, intercultural dialogue, and moral disagreements. This paper aims to explore how people determine what is right and wrong, good and bad, in light of these two doctrines. It also seeks to analyse the debate critically by examining its conceptual foundations, philosophical arguments, and the limitations of both doctrines.