Fundamentals Of Ethics By Russ Shafer-Landeau: Chapter Analysis

The final chapter, chapter 21, of Russ Shafer-Landau’s book, The Fundamentals of Ethics, emphasis is placed on the fact that moral objectivity is not always completely universal but does not mean the idea of moral objectivism has to be rejected. Moral objectivism states that moral standards should be universal but there are some circumstances and exceptions to this claim. Shafer-Landau presents eleven arguments in chapter 21 that some consider challenges to the universality principle of moral objectivity. Not only will moral objectivism be examined in this paper but also another philosophical view known as moral skepticism will be discussed. In addition to the arguments present by Shafter-Landau’s book this paper will include an analysis from

(446) Pragmatic naturalism is “the process of improving the old functions and creating new ones in response to new problems…resulting in a long term procession of small and large moral changes in diverse and changing populations.” (446) These progressive changes Philip Kitcher discussed in his book, The Ethical Project, includes examples of change as being “…the earliest legal codes, the idea of exact retribution—eye for eye, tooth for tooth, life for life…” (140) Skeptics to ethical objectivity claim that moral progression cannot occur because it is a process that requires a slow change that does not happen at once. The philosophers conclude that Kitcher’s view of pragmatic naturalism is valid and rejects the skeptic’s points. They base their conclusion on two

Second, moral progress is possible even granting, as suggested in the third caveat above, that the pluralism in basic values and functions is even more extensive that Kitcher allows. Indeed, the resolution of moral conflict engendered by this pluralism may be viewed as one of the many functions of morality that has emerged in its evolution – a function served by moral consistency reasoning. (453-454)

Because these changes are considered to create a better good for all parties involved then progressivism is allowed to occur and moral objectivity can still stand. Moral progressivism is inevitable and as the world evolves pragmatic naturalism allows moral objectivism to withstand the test of time.
Conclusion
Moral objectivism is the idea that moral standards are capable of being applied universally around the world. There are many challenges to this theory stripping it of its validity. However, Shafer-Landau and other philosophers provide evidence to some exceptions still allowing moral objectivity to stand and be valid. Some of these exceptions include the invalidity of absolutism, allowance of differentiation between cultures, and pragmatic naturalism. These are only a few challenges to moral objectivity and they cannot bring down this long-standing theory allowing moral standards to be applied to everyone in the