Some Moral Minima (Goodman, L.E., 2010)
Some Moral Minima (Goodman, L.E., 2010)
Christine Conklin
SOC120
Instructor Getachew Wakgira
May 10, 2013
Some Moral Minima (Goodman, L.E., 2013)
After reading “Some moral minima,” I must agree with Lenn Goodman’s opinions. Though they reflect, to the extreme, his relativism, I agree the topics he chose are all wrong in the eyes of another culture’s virtues and morals. This is a difficult decision because, even if it is true that no norm can be made absolute unless some other is compromised, unanimity is no proper standard of moral universality. We humans and the societies we constitute can be wrong. “Consent is a helpful marker, but neither necessary nor sufficient to legitimacy. Some whose interests are critically affected by our acts have no effectual say in our choices. Principles are principles; no norms delineating concretely, and uncompromisingly, wrong from right” (Goodman, L.E., 2010).
I will take the four topics of choice and present my argument, one by one. I agree there should be universal moral requirements in regards to these practices.
Genocide, Famine and Germ Warfare
The first topic chosen is Genocide, Famine and Germ Warfare. This technique is mass murder where a criminal is slaying a marked victim. The purpose lies in the intent, not just the scale of the crime. “More dreams are broken and more futures cut short when more lives are taken. But genocide targets individuals as members of a group, seeking to destroy a race, a culture, a linguistic or ethnic identity, even a class as the Soviets did in the Ukraine, or Mao in China, or the Khmer Rouge in Cambodia. The target is a way of life” (Goodman, L.E., 2010).
Terrorism, Hostages, and Child Warriors
The second topic is Terrorism, Hostages, and Child Warriors. These people target certain classes, cultures, and ethnic identities like genocide. “Terrorism, as a tactic, finds its military use in sapping the will to resist. Its intensity comes from its flagrancy. The more
Christine Conklin
SOC120
Instructor Getachew Wakgira
May 10, 2013
Some Moral Minima (Goodman, L.E., 2013)
After reading “Some moral minima,” I must agree with Lenn Goodman’s opinions. Though they reflect, to the extreme, his relativism, I agree the topics he chose are all wrong in the eyes of another culture’s virtues and morals. This is a difficult decision because, even if it is true that no norm can be made absolute unless some other is compromised, unanimity is no proper standard of moral universality. We humans and the societies we constitute can be wrong. “Consent is a helpful marker, but neither necessary nor sufficient to legitimacy. Some whose interests are critically affected by our acts have no effectual say in our choices. Principles are principles; no norms delineating concretely, and uncompromisingly, wrong from right” (Goodman, L.E., 2010).
I will take the four topics of choice and present my argument, one by one. I agree there should be universal moral requirements in regards to these practices.
Genocide, Famine and Germ Warfare
The first topic chosen is Genocide, Famine and Germ Warfare. This technique is mass murder where a criminal is slaying a marked victim. The purpose lies in the intent, not just the scale of the crime. “More dreams are broken and more futures cut short when more lives are taken. But genocide targets individuals as members of a group, seeking to destroy a race, a culture, a linguistic or ethnic identity, even a class as the Soviets did in the Ukraine, or Mao in China, or the Khmer Rouge in Cambodia. The target is a way of life” (Goodman, L.E., 2010).
Terrorism, Hostages, and Child Warriors
The second topic is Terrorism, Hostages, and Child Warriors. These people target certain classes, cultures, and ethnic identities like genocide. “Terrorism, as a tactic, finds its military use in sapping the will to resist. Its intensity comes from its flagrancy. The more
References: Goodman, L. E. (2010). Some moral minima. The Good Society, 19(1), 87-94. Retrieved from the EBSCO Host database in the Ashford Online Library