Moral realism offers several significant advantages by positing that moral judgments can be objectively true or false, providing a robust foundation for ethics, moral debate, and accountability.
Moral realists maintain that when people make moral judgments—for instance, stating "cruelty is wrong" or "generosity is required"—they are purporting to report moral facts. Crucially, moral realists also believe that such facts actually exist, meaning some moral claims are indeed objectively true. This fundamental position underpins its key benefits.
The Core Advantages of Moral Realism
The primary strength of moral realism lies in its ability to ground morality in something beyond mere personal taste, cultural preference, or subjective opinion. This allows for meaningful moral progress, genuine disagreement, and universal moral standards.
Here are the key advantages:
- Objective Moral Truths: Moral realism asserts that moral statements can be objectively true or false, independent of human beliefs or attitudes. This means "cruelty is wrong" isn't just an expression of dislike, but a statement about a factual property of cruelty itself.
- Meaningful Moral Disagreement and Progress: If moral facts exist, then moral debates are not just clashes of subjective preferences but genuine inquiries into truth. This allows for the possibility of moral error, learning, and progress, much like scientific inquiry. We can genuinely say that past societies held morally mistaken views (e.g., regarding slavery).
- Universal Moral Standards: By positing objective moral facts, moral realism provides a basis for universal moral standards that apply to everyone, everywhere. This can bridge cultural differences and provide a common ground for human rights and ethical conduct globally.
- Grounds for Moral Accountability and Responsibility: If certain actions are objectively wrong, then there is a stronger, more universal basis for holding individuals and groups accountable for their actions. It moves accountability beyond societal consensus to an objective standard.
- Explains Moral Experience: Many people experience morality as something demanding and external, rather than purely internal and arbitrary. Moral realism aligns with this intuition, providing an explanation for the feeling that some actions must be done or must not be done.
Deeper Dive into Benefits
Let's explore these advantages in more detail through specific applications.
Establishing Objective Morality
One of the most compelling arguments for moral realism is its ability to establish a framework for objective moral truths.
| Feature | Explanation | Impact |
|---|---|---|
| Fact-Reporting | Moral judgments (e.g., "Justice is a virtue") are seen as attempts to report existing moral facts. | Elevates moral discourse from mere preference-sharing to truth-seeking. |
| Truth-Aptness | Moral claims can be genuinely true or false, not just expressions of taste or preference. | Allows for meaningful moral education, critique, and reform. |
| Independence | Moral facts exist independently of human minds or cultures. | Provides a stable moral compass, resistant to cultural relativism or individual whim. |
For example, if someone claims "murder is wrong," a moral realist would argue this statement reports an actual moral fact, not merely that the speaker dislikes murder or that their culture disapproves of it. This provides a strong impetus for universal condemnation and prevention of such acts.
Enabling Moral Progress and Discourse
Without objective moral facts, it's difficult to speak meaningfully about "moral progress." If morality is purely subjective, then the abolition of slavery isn't progress, but merely a change in preference.
- Rational Debate: Moral realism supports the idea that moral arguments can be rational, aiming to discover truth rather than merely persuade or express emotion. This allows for rigorous philosophical inquiry into ethical dilemmas.
- Learning from History: We can look back at historical events (e.g., the Holocaust, apartheid) and declare them objectively immoral, not just outmoded. This provides critical lessons for future generations and underscores the importance of universal human rights.
- Resolving Conflict: While not guaranteeing agreement, the belief in objective moral facts provides a framework within which moral conflicts can, in principle, be resolved by appealing to higher, independent standards.
Fostering Universal Human Values
The concept of universal human rights, widely accepted today, implicitly leans on a form of moral realism. If there are no objective moral truths, then why should all humans have a right to life, liberty, or dignity, regardless of where they live or what their culture dictates?
- Basis for International Law: Moral realism provides a strong philosophical underpinning for international laws and conventions that aim to protect fundamental human rights across borders.
- Combating Relativism: It offers a robust counter-argument to moral relativism, which suggests that all moral claims are equally valid within their cultural context, potentially hindering criticism of oppressive practices.
In essence, moral realism provides a stable and compelling foundation for our deeply held beliefs about right and wrong, allowing for meaningful ethical discourse, progress, and universal accountability.
