2 SONYA VERKHOTUROVA
agreement. Finally, I will highlight some other problematic implications if the statement of the title is true after all.
I
At first glance, the idea of morality being relative seems plausible, due to the existence of diverse opinions on the matter of morality. This summarises the most common reasoning which the advocators of moral relativism follow. There is a diversity of different cultures which possess different moralities, and on what grounds can one tell them that their morality is wrong if we do not possess the moral truth? Suppose some argue that they hold the moral truths, then it seems that one is placing oneself in the superior position in relation to the other societies. This is known as cultural chauvinism and is widely criticised nowadays due to the presence of the negative sentiment against colonialism and imperialism. Yet this premise in itself seems to be neutral to the argument, because absence of diversity does not preclude the existence of an absolute standard; in the same way, the existence of many scientific theories about the origin of the universe does not preclude that there is one that is true. A cultural relativist will elucidate this idea by saying that morality does not resemble a scientific theory, rather it does resemble etiquette. For example, in Europe smiling to a stranger is seen as a sign of politeness. Whereas in Russia, it is recognised as an act of disrespect, thus the same action translates differently. A British tourist, who comes to Russia ought to respect this norm and act accordingly under the moral pressure. Relativists claim that it is a similar case with morality: the right thing to do is to show respect towards the societal norms. The strength of this argument is that it promotes toleration which is viewed of great importance, and it may be useful for us to remain conscious of cultural differences.
Although moral relativism may appeal to us as a pluralistic morality reflective of the current consensus about the importance of toleration and respect, this should not be taken as a value. This essay will firstly draw the distinction between etiquette and morality: this essay argues that the latter beholds more value and has more significant implications for all humans. With this in mind, the necessary conclusion that follows the relativist’ s line of argument is that one is forced to admit to the permissibility of any, even utterly abhorrent, action