In its original literal sense, "moral relativism" is simply moral complexity. That is, anyone who agrees that stealing a loaf of bread to feed one's children is not the moral equivalent of, say, shoplifting a
dress for the fun of it, is a relativist of sorts. But in recent years, conservatives bent on reinstating an essentially religious vocabulary of absolute good and evil as the only legitimate framework for discussing social values have redefined "relative" as "arbitrary." That conflation has been reinforced by social theorists and advocates of identity politics who argue that there is no universal morality, only the value systems of particular cultures and power structures.
quote by Ellen Willis
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Protect Individual Rights
To precisely follow set
traditions an accepted
professed social cultural
religious rule of conduct
such actions are perceived
a model of good conduct?
In a healthy society such
behaviour should earn an
individual esteemed title
recognition as a good person
of genuine moral principles
responsibility as a role model.
A fundamental doctrine or tenet
is an agreed upon social contract
a distinctive conduct ruling opinion
a guiding sense of requirements
obligations enforce right conduct
moral principle is honour bound.
A fixed predetermined policy
a standard of lawful behavior
a sound law of moral judgments
decisions based on beneficial principles
ensures guarantees civilized society will
protect individual rights for benefit of all.
poem by Terence George Craddock
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Fundamental of Liar Chapter XCVIII: Absolutely Relative
Expensive is absolute, cheap is relative
Far is absolute, near is relative
Ugly is absolute, beauty is relative
Weird is absolute, crazy is relative
Stubborn is absolute, brave is relative
Stupid is absolute, smart is relative
Weak is absolute, strong is relative
Old is absolute, mature is relative
Lose is absolute, win is relative
Rich is absolute, poor is relative
Sad is absolute, happy is relative
Misfortune is absolute, lucky is relative
Safe is absolute, fear is relative
Love is absolute, hate is relative
Important is absolute, forgotten is relative
Easy is absolute, difficult is relative
Wrong is absolute, right is relative
Bad is absolute, good is relative
Lie is absolute, truth is relative
poem by Maria Sudibyo
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Metaphorical meaning
Thinking that good and bad
Is so relative
While being incapable to keep
The moral utterances
The elliptical utterances
For the corresponding relational
Statements
The cognitive statements
Or holding that moral judgments
Not for expressing beliefs
Accepting that our deep truths
Are universal
Or accepting everything
And denying the power of reason
Or seeking the good by using
Our power of reason,
Using our unfolding wisdom
And insightful enchantment
Or living in life
As both joy and despair
Being in metaphorical meaning
Apart from ego and absolutes
poem by Marieta Maglas
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We must try to advance the cause of humanity by developing in ourselves, as well as in others, a higher type of manhood and womanhood than the past has known. To aid in the evolution of a new conscience, to inject living streams of moral force into the dry veins of materialistic communities is our aim. We seek to come into touch with the ultimate power in things, the ultimate peace in things, which yet, in any literal sense, we know well that we cannot know. We seek to become morally certain — that is, certain for moral purposes — of what is beyond the reach of demonstration. But our moral optimism must include the darkest facts that pessimism can point to, include them and transcend them.
quote by Felix Adler
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Property is not the sacred right. When a rich man becomes poor it is a misfortune, it is not a moral evil. When a poor man becomes destitute, it is a moral evil, teeming with consequences and injurious to society and morality.
quote by Lord Acton
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I am certainly not an intellectual relativist, nor a moral relativist.
quote by Edward Tufte
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There is always a certain glamour about the idea of a nation rising up to crush an evil simply because it is wrong. Unfortunately, this can seldom be realized in real life; for the very existence of the evil usually argues a moral weakness in the very place where extraordinary moral strength is called for.
quote by W.E.B. Du Bois
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Political realism is aware of the moral significance of political action. It is also aware of the ineluctable tension between the moral command and the requirements of successful political action. And it is
unwilling to gloss over and obliterate that tension and thus to obfuscate both the moral and the political issue by making it appear as though the stark facts of politics were morally more satisfying than they actually are, and the moral law less exacting than it actually is.
quote by Hans Morgenthau
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I will use whatever position I have in order to root out hypocrisy. Democrats have strong moral values. Frankly, my moral values are offended by some of the things I hear on programs like ""Rush Limbaugh,"" and we don't have to put up with that.
quote by Howard Dean
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So after the Lewinsky scandal, everything changed, and we moved from using the Bible to address the moral issues of our time, which were social, to moral issues of our time that were very personal. I have continued that relationship up until the present.
quote by Tony Campolo
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The Moral Rights
‘The moral rights of the author
have been asserted’… that, I’m told,
is what I should say when I write
anything for publication here; even before
I say anything..
It means, I guess, the more, the less..
than ‘Copyright’ which normally
gets printed just above it;
which just means, don’t copy this;
whereas ‘moral rights’ convey
so much more…
suggesting that I even possess morality;
which, considering my wild, undisciplined
former life, you might well question..
but note, I merely ‘assert’ them;
feel free to challenge them (you note that ‘rights’
are plural; plenty lawyer’s fees there
to say, well maybe this, not that…
and you’re free (your defending counsel may assert)
to copy my poem and put your own name to it;
since truth can be in no man’s sole possession,
and my poem, bless its metered tropes,
speaks naught but the truth..
though now I mention ‘truth’, I don’t recall
that phrase about the moral rights
upon the title-page of, let’s say,
the Gospels; Books of Moses; Qu’ran; Upanishads;
those guys on whom we’ve so long depended
to tell us what morality should be..
so please understand, that when I ‘assert’,
it’s more for my self-image than for yours;
makes me feel good; I must be
a serious author, if (in the subtext, scholars footnote)
the moral underpinning may be detected..
and that said – now to the poem.. Except
now I’ve forgotten what I was going to say..
Perhaps that, too, is a moral issue; but
I have the right to remain silent..
even if I’m up on this morality charge..
my defence is, that my Muse,
hearing the word ‘morality’,
flees my company. ’Twas ever so.
poem by Michael Shepherd
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Evil's Goodness
Evil’s Goodness
Christian U. Garan
You and I are sinful being.
Denying the fact is lying.
So accept the unacceptable reality,
Coz’ doing such reflects your maturity.
Yet, there are times in which our “Id” demands;
Worldly pleasures it commands.
And the “Ego” will instantly be on the go.
But wait, never let go!
Be firm enough to resist temptations.
Then there will be feathers on your hat!
You have a brain to decide,
and conscience which will guide.
So, my dear, make a dry run!
Make a dry run!
Can’t you run away from this and that?
Admit that you can’t and
make a dry run.
Physical evil is imperfection.
But moral evil is a violation.
Authentic evil is the moral evil.
The two are true but of different level.
The value of things lies on the morale.
Morality isn’t singular but it’s plural.
Yet, why is evil created by God?
Can he just program human not to be bad?
But my dear I tell you,
Something good from the seemingly evil
He can draw!
poem by Christian Garan
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Today we are at last beginning to understand the intricacies of Aztec amazing culture, which was the equal of any in Europe in moral refinement, artistic sensibility, social complexity, and political organization.
J. Jorge Klor de Alva in Foreword to 'The Broken Spears'
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Tolerance, openness and understanding towards other peoples' cultures, social structures, values and faiths are now essential to the very survival of an interdependent world.
quote by Aga Khan IV
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The ultimate purpose of religious life is to make this evolution move in a direction far more important to the destiny of the ego than the moral health of the social fabric which forms his present environment.
quote by Muhammed Iqbal
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Do not be too moral. You may cheat yourself out of much life so. Aim above morality. Be not simply good; be good for something.
quote by Henry David Thoreau
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Do not be too moral. You may cheat yourself out of much life. Aim above morality. Be not simply good; be good for something.
quote by Henry David Thoreau
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Do not be too moral. You may cheat yourself out of much life. Aim above morality. Be not simply good be good for something.
quote by Henry David Thoreau
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Hypocrisy is a value that I think has been embraced by the Republican Party. We get lectured by people all day long about moral values by people who have their own moral shortcomings.
quote by Howard Dean
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Not all moral issues have the same moral weight as abortion and euthanasia. There may be legitimate diversity of opinion even among Catholics about waging war and applying the death penalty, but not... with regard to abortion and euthanasia.
quote by Pope Benedict XVI
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