Relativism is an ancient philosophical doctrine which has recurred time and again in the history of philosophy. It has also transcended the boundaries of that discipline, for it has shaped much of the methodology in anthropology and sociology, as well as in critical theory and literary studies. While often advocated for its supposed tolerance of differences, relativism has profound consequences for how we think of reality, for the possibility of knowledge, both in the factual and in the moral domain, and may engender the practice of double standard. If a wind is hot for me and cold for you and none of us is at fault, does this mean that reality is always perspectival, or that it admits of contradictory descriptions? If a belief turns out to be justified when evaluated within a certain epistemic system (such as religion, for instance), while it turns out to be unjustified if assessed from within a different one (science, say), does relativism undermine the very possibility of knowledge? If an action can be morally permissible within an ethical system and not so within a different one, does that challenge the idea that there are moral truths and moral progress? These are some of the questions we will engage in during the course, while considering examples taken from the history of science, such as the Bellarmine-Galileo dispute, and from everyday life. This course is aimed at anyone who is interested in learning more about philosophy, along with those who are looking for strategies to combat extremism in their communities. Using these approaches, no matter what your skill levels in topics you would like to master, you can change your thinking and change your life. In this course, learners will: Explore the concept of Relativism Discuss the role of Relativism in contemporary society Identify common responses to Relativism Compare/Contrast various forms of Relativism Recognize how epistemic relativism can be used to explain important events in the history of science and crucial discoveries in anthropology Create a presentation with your personal perspective on one of the forms of relativism
教学大纲 - 您将从这门课程中学到什么
Module 1
Welcome to Module 1: Introduction to Relativism. In this module, we will explore how current issues in public debate (climate change denial, fake news, vaccine skepticism, religious and political extremism) trade on relativism, and how relativism may be thought of as being a source of good by promoting pluralism and tolerance. We will begin by defining Relativism, and review the various forms, including faultless disagreement, relativism of difference, and local vs. global Relativism.
Module 2
Welcome to Module 2: Alethic Relativism. This week we will explore the structure of alethic relativism in Protagoras’ philosophy, examine the structure of contemporary alethic relativism, and identify the main objections to both forms of alethic relativism.
Module 3
Welcome to Module 3: Epistemic Relativism. In this module we will explore the structure of epistemic relativism and identify how epistemic relativism can be used to explain important events in the history of science and crucial discoveries in anthropology. We will also review the main objections to epistemic relativism and examine how the data provided by the history of science and anthropology could be understood without appealing to epistemic relativism.
Module 4
Welcome to Module 4: Moral Relativism. In this module we will explore the structure and framework of ethical relativism and review alethic relativism and relativism of distance as applied to ethics. We will identify the main objections to these forms of ethical relativism and recognize the difficulty of formulating a coherent relativist proposal. Finally, course participants are asked to apply their understanding of one of the forms of relativism and create a presentation to share their personal perspective.
讲师
Annalisa Coliva
Professor of Philosophy关于 加州大学尔湾分校
常见问题
我什么时候能够访问课程视频和作业？
注册以便获得证书后，您将有权访问所有视频、测验和编程作业（如果适用）。只有在您的班次开课之后，才可以提交和审阅同学互评作业。如果您选择在不购买的情况下浏览课程，可能无法访问某些作业。
我购买证书后会得到什么？
您购买证书后，将有权访问所有课程材料，包括评分作业。完成课程后，您的电子课程证书将添加到您的成就页中，您可以通过该页打印您的课程证书或将其添加到您的领英档案中。如果您只想阅读和查看课程内容，可以免费旁听课程。
退款政策是如何规定的？
有助学金吗？
还有其他问题吗？请访问 学生帮助中心。
