A kind of morality which is created by individual, thus moral right or wrong is relative to individual person, making moral truth as a matter of individual opinion. A. Emotivism B. Cultural relativism C. Ethical subjectivism D. Universalism
The correct answer and explanation is:
Correct Answer: C. Ethical subjectivism
Explanation:
Ethical subjectivism is a philosophical theory that claims moral judgments are expressions of the individual’s personal feelings or opinions. According to this view, there is no objective standard of morality that applies universally. Instead, moral right or wrong depends on what each individual believes. If someone thinks something is morally right, then for that person, it is right. If another person disagrees, both are still correct from their own personal perspectives because moral truth is relative to the individual.
This perspective makes ethical judgments similar to preferences. For instance, saying “stealing is wrong” is seen in the same way as saying “I dislike stealing.” There is no external moral truth that determines the rightness or wrongness of stealing; it all depends on the individual’s feelings and opinions.
Ethical subjectivism differs from cultural relativism, which bases morality on cultural norms rather than individual opinion. It also contrasts with emotivism, which views moral statements not as claims about truth but as expressions of emotional attitudes aimed at influencing others. Ethical subjectivism also stands opposed to universalism, which argues that some moral truths are valid for all people regardless of individual or cultural perspectives.
The main challenge with ethical subjectivism is that it can lead to moral disagreement without resolution. If everyone’s moral opinion is equally valid, then we cannot say that any action is objectively right or wrong. This makes it difficult to criticize harmful actions, such as discrimination or injustice, because according to this theory, if someone believes those actions are right, then they are right for that person.
Despite its problems, ethical subjectivism highlights the importance of personal perspective in moral reasoning and helps explain why moral disagreements are so common.