Q&A: What Is Objective in Morality?
What Is Objective in Morality?
Question
Hello Rabbi,
Your view is that morality is objective, binding, and given by God. I agree with that.
On the other hand, simple intuition says that there is still room for relativism even within such a picture. For example, it is morally forbidden to harm another person. But the definition of harm is really not unequivocal, and can easily vary from place to place because of social norms.
If so, what is objective in morality in this example? The principle of “not harming another”? What about its specific manifestations?
Answer
First of all, the very moral obligation itself comes from God. Beyond that, when there are disputes, that proves nothing. It may be that one side is right and the other is mistaken. Beyond that, even if everything comes from God, there can be degrees of freedom that allow for several views within the objective framework.
Variation from place to place and from time to time is not connected to the issue at all. Even objective morality gives a correct answer for every kind of circumstance. Under different circumstances, the answer will be different. Not for nothing, in my previous message I spoke only about disagreement.