Which statement best describes ethical relativism?

Which statement best describes ethical relativism?

• A. What's ethical in one society may be forbidden in another.
• B. There are universal ethical standards.
• C. Ethics are determined by personal taste.
• D. Ethics are primarily dictated by laws.

Answer: (A)

Ethical relativism holds that morality is rooted in the norms of a given culture and can vary from one society to another. The statement that what’s ethical in one society may be forbidden in another best captures this idea, showing that there isn’t a single universal standard that all cultures share. This stands in contrast to the idea of universal ethical standards, which would imply one fixed morality for all. It also contrasts with ethics determined by personal taste, which makes morality a matter of individual preference, and with ethics dictated by laws, which points to a legalistic or rule-based approach rather than culturally relative morality.

Ethical relativism holds that morality is rooted in the norms of a given culture and can vary from one society to another. The statement that what’s ethical in one society may be forbidden in another best captures this idea, showing that there isn’t a single universal standard that all cultures share. This stands in contrast to the idea of universal ethical standards, which would imply one fixed morality for all. It also contrasts with ethics determined by personal taste, which makes morality a matter of individual preference, and with ethics dictated by laws, which points to a legalistic or rule-based approach rather than culturally relative morality.