Suppose a mother is part of a community that generally supports the idea that both parents should work and contribute to a middle-class standard of living. Furthermore, she is also part of a religious community that believes that mothers should remain at home and raise children even if it means having a lower standard of living. According to the theory of ethical relativism, which of the following should the mother do?
A) She should work because she would be following the moral conventions of the larger, more inclusive culture.
B) She should stay at home because that would allow her to follow the moral conventions of her religion, which trumps all other groups.
C) She can choose to either work or stay at home because she will be moral in either case. She would still be following the moral conventions of at least one of the groups.
D) Ethical relativism fails to say what she should do because she is a member of two different cultures with conflicting moral values. This illustrates one of the shortcomings of ethical relativism.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Ethical relativism posits that moral right and wrong are determined by the moral norms of the society in which one is a part. Therefore, if the mother chooses either option—working or staying at home—she aligns with the moral conventions of at least one of her communities, making her actions morally acceptable within the framework of ethical relativism.

Suppose a Mother Is Part of a Community That Generally