A Refutation of Moral Relativism

Philosophy professor Kreeft's conceit is that he recently invited two former students (both fictional) to discuss moral philosophy and that this is the record of their conversations. One of the two, a black feminist journalist and moral relativist, interviewed the other, a Palestinian Arab professor and moral absolutist. The sparks start flying in the first session, when the professor characterizes Auschwitz as "the fruit of moral relativism" and quotes Mussolini's explanation of fascism as quintessentially relativistic. The succeeding discussion treats the definition and the history of moral relativism (it began with the serpent's temptation of Eve, it seems), whether data support relativism or absolutism, the arguments for relativism, the roots of relativism in reductionism, arguments for moral absolutism, absolutism's philosophical assumptions (e.g., that truth can be known), and, finally, "The Cause and Cure of Relativism" (sexual mores are key to both). As the title suggests, relativism doesn't stand a chance here. Boredom is a goner, too, as, employing the oldest literary method of enlivening philosophy--casting it, ... ala Plato, as a dialogue, a bare-bones play--Kreeft deftly creates recognizable characters as he advances a debate as important to the future of religion as to that of society.