Ethical relativism is most accurately defined by which statement?

Ethical relativism is most accurately defined by which statement?

• A. What's ethical in one society may be forbidden in another.
• B. There are universal ethical standards that apply everywhere.
• C. Ethics are determined solely by personal preference.
• D. Ethics are fixed across all cultures.

Answer: (A)

Ethical relativism holds that moral judgments depend on the norms of a given society, so what’s considered ethical can differ from culture to culture. The statement that what’s ethical in one society may be forbidden in another best captures that idea. This contrasts with universalist views that there are global moral standards, with personal subjectivism that ethics are just a matter of individual preference, and with moral absolutism that ethics are fixed across cultures. Understanding this helps explain why cross-cultural ethical debates can hinge on different cultural norms rather than a single universal rule.

Ethical relativism holds that moral judgments depend on the norms of a given society, so what’s considered ethical can differ from culture to culture. The statement that what’s ethical in one society may be forbidden in another best captures that idea. This contrasts with universalist views that there are global moral standards, with personal subjectivism that ethics are just a matter of individual preference, and with moral absolutism that ethics are fixed across cultures. Understanding this helps explain why cross-cultural ethical debates can hinge on different cultural norms rather than a single universal rule.