Moral universalism (also called universal morality) is the meta-ethical position that some system of ethics, or a universal ethic, applies universally, that is, for "all similarly situated individuals"^[1], regardless of culture, race, sex, religion, nationality, sexuality, or other distinguishing feature. Moral universalism is opposed to moral nihilism and moral relativism. However, not all forms of moral universalism are absolutist, nor are they necessarily value monist; many forms of universalism, such as utilitarianism, are non-absolutist, and some forms, such as that of Isaiah Berlin, may be value pluralist.

Contents 1 Overview 2 History 3 See also 4 References 5 External links

[edit] Overview

According to R. W Hepburn, to adopt moral objectivism is^[2]

“

... to argue that moral judgements can be rationally defensible, true or false, that there are rational procedural tests for identifying morally impermissible actions, or that moral values exist independently of the feeling-states of individuals at particular times.

”

Noam Chomsky states that^[3]

“

... if we adopt the principle of universality : if an action is right (or wrong) for others, it is right (or wrong) for us. Those who do not rise to the minimal moral level of applying to themselves the standards they apply to others -- more stringent ones, in fact -- plainly cannot be taken seriously when they speak of appropriateness of response; or of right and wrong, good and evil.

”

“

In fact, one of the, maybe the most, elementary of moral principles is that of universality, that is, If something's right for me, it's right for you; if it's wrong for you, it's wrong for me. Any moral code that is even worth looking at has that at its core somehow.

”

The source or justification of a universal ethic may be thought to be, for instance, human nature, shared vulnerability to suffering, the demands of universal reason, what is common among existing moral codes, or the common mandates of religion (although it can be said that the latter is not in fact moral universalism because it may distinguish between gods and mortals). As such, models of moral universalism may be atheistic or agnostic, deistic (in the case of several Enlightenment philosophers), monotheistic (in the case of the Abrahamic religions), or polytheistic (in the case of Hinduism). Various systems of moral universalism may differ in various ways on the meta-ethical question of the nature of the morality, as well as in their substantial normative content, but all agree on its universality.

[edit] History

This section requires expansion.

An enormous range of traditions and thinkers have supported one form or another of moral universalism, from the ancient Platonists and Stoics, through Christians and Muslims, to modern Kantian, Objectivist, natural rights, human rights and utilitarian thinkers. The United Nations' Universal Declaration of Human Rights is an example of moral universalism in practice.

[edit] See also

• Natural law
• Natural rights
• Moral absolutism
• Moral relativism
• Anarcho-capitalism
• Universal Declaration of Human Rights

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• Axel Honneth: Mutual Recognition as a Key for a Universal Ethics
• Bom Mo Chung: Global Village and Universal Ethics
• An article proving universal morality
• The Middle Way as the basis of moral objectivity

v • d • e Human rights   Fundamental concepts and philosophies Natural and legal rights · Claim rights and liberty rights · Negative and positive rights · Individual rights and Group rights Natural law · Positive law · State sovereignty · Universal jurisdiction List of Organisations · National institutions International human rights legal instruments · International human rights law · International humanitarian law Civil and political rights · Economic, social and cultural rights · Reproductive rights Human rights by continent Africa · Asia · Europe · North America · Oceania · South America