Do your best to be persuasive and only give your opinion when asked for your view. Write a full paragraph for each answer. Think about cases of moral relativism that you have seen in the world. Watch the following videos and respond to the following questions.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hyWFc3tpjLE&feature=youtu.be
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g-UVAKQYR_s&feature=youtu.be.

1) In your own words, explain the top two arguments for conventionalism (moral relativism that grounds moral truths in the majority opinion of a culture). Give a 4-6 sentence paragraph for both with your own creative examples or examples from our Postmodern culture (of “political correctness” and “identity politics”). Do your best to be as persuasive as possible (even if you think these arguments are weak).

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2) In your own words, explain the top two arguments against conventionalism (moral relativism grounded in the beliefs of 51% of the people of a culture). Give a 4-6 sentence paragraph for both with your own creative examples. Do your best to be as persuasive as possible (even if you think these arguments are weak).

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3) Listen to ten minutes of Rev. King’s argument (starting at 8:30) sermon on Luke 11:5 – 13.

To what degree do you agree or disagree with Reverend MLK’s argument against moral relativism in “Knocking on Midnight”? Explain his point and and critique it in a 4-6 paragraph response (and give us a discussion question if you want to see if we agree): https://kinginstitute.stanford.edu/king-papers/documents/knock-midnight
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4) In your analysis, which view is stronger (out of moral nihilism, conventionalism, subjectivism, and moral realism/objectivism) and why? Write at least a full paragraph with specific examples. If you want, relate it to the worldview wars in American culture. For instance, President Obama seeming gave a relativist position when he denied American exceptionalism and said other countries see themselves as exceptional as well (American exceptionalists (like Abraham Lincoln and Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr.) saw the Declaration of Independence and American experiment as unique in history and a “beacon of liberty” around the world). President Obama also seemingly endorsed subjectivism when he thought that the mother decides if a fetus (or, perhaps, an infant) is a person entitled to life and liberty and Constitutional rights.

.5) Assume that a form of relativism is true and you have to choose between them. Looking at the objections against conventionalism and subjectivism, which view is more reasonable to believe? Is individual moral relativism (subjectivism) more defensible than cultural moral relativism (conventionalsm), or which view has the least amount of problems? In your answer, display a knowledge of the critiques of subjectivism and conventionalism.

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6) From the document and lecture, explain (in your own words) the distinction between postmodern “contemporary” tolerance and classical tolerance with examples. We see postmodernism in humanities departments at the university and political correctness and identity politics and in “being offended” and “safe spaces” and emphasis on feelings and not rational arguments. We see it when views are reduced to non-rational factors “rich white male privilege” and views dismissed as bigoted, racist, sexist, Islamophobic, homophobic, etc.

Does this distinction help matters in the whole “tolerance” debate in our current society? Which form of tolerance is better in your view? Explain why (with examples from your own life dealing with friends or family who disagree with you in a view).

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(Use the powerpoint uploaded in the files to answer number 7.)

7) Why should we be moral if God doesn’t exist and we can get away with it?

a) What would you do if you were given a Ring of Gyges and could get away with anything?

b) Why should we be moral when we can get away with it (if our parents, police, spouse, significant other, teacher) won’t find out?

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