A Note on Relativism

Abstract

This note examines the concept of relativism as it often appears in business. It discusses four separate types of relativism, and lays out the reasons why relativism is a bad idea.

Excerpt

UVA-E-0187

A Note on Relativism

We have often heard businesspeople talk about how difficult it is to make ethical decisions. This note is written to answer critics who would claim that you do not need to engage in conversations about ethics because everything is relative. If we accept relativism on its own terms, then the reflection, analysis, and reason-giving associated with ethics becomes fruitless. While relativism is based on some important insights about morality, we want to suggest reasons it should be rejected. The following conversations highlight some types of this logic:

Conversation 1: The Case of the Fake Résumé

Jones: Did you hear about Peters? He's been with the company for two years and the personnel people finally got around to doing a routine check on his credentials. Seems that his résumé wasn't exactly kosher. Good old Andy invented a Harvard MBA and dreamed up five years of experience in the computer industry, when in reality he was driving a cab for most of his life.

Smith: That's really too bad. I've worked with Andy on a project during the last year. He's made quite a contribution to the strategic planning process here. They fired him on the spot. I'm not sure how we'll replace him.

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Keywords: ethical issues