Encyclopedia of Opinion
Question
Is morality relative?
Position‹3 of 3

No, morality is absolute

This position holds that morality is absolute, not relative. It argues that an objective moral order exists beyond any particular time, place or culture — grounded variously in God's will, the consistency of core moral standards across history, or Kant's categorical imperative.

Supporting arguments · 3

  1. God's will determines morality
    The divine command theory argues that an action is good or bad according to whether or not it follows God's will.
  2. An action's morality is determined by its adherence to the categorical imperative
    In this theory, known as deontology, the morality of a given action is determined by its adherence to a list of moral rules or categorical imperative. Since these rules are unchanging, morality is as well.
  3. Across time and culture, moral standards have remained largely absolute
    Naturally, some moral norms change, but cultures across the map and throughout history all agree on many of the most important and fundamental "rules."