Legal Definitions - objective ethics

Objective ethics refers to the philosophical perspective that certain moral principles or values are universally true and apply to all people, at all times, and in all places, regardless of individual opinions, cultural norms, or specific circumstances. It posits that there is an objective standard for determining right and wrong, independent of human perception or agreement.

• Example 1: Consider the act of deliberately torturing an innocent child. Across virtually all societies and belief systems, this action is condemned as profoundly wrong.

  Explanation: Objective ethics would argue that this act is not merely considered wrong because most people dislike it, but because it violates a fundamental, universal moral truth about human dignity and the inherent wrongness of inflicting extreme cruelty. The wrongness of torture, in this view, is an objective moral fact, not a subjective preference or cultural construct.

• Example 2: A surgeon's unwavering commitment to save a patient's life during an emergency operation, even if the patient holds unpopular political views or belongs to a marginalized group.

  Explanation: The ethical principle that a medical professional must prioritize preserving life and alleviating suffering is often viewed as an objective ethical standard within medicine. It is not dependent on the surgeon's personal feelings about the patient, nor is it culturally relative; it is a universal professional obligation rooted in the objective value of human life and the duty of care.

• Example 3: The international legal and ethical consensus that genocide—the systematic extermination of a racial, ethnic, religious, or national group—is an absolute evil.

  Explanation: Objective ethics would assert that genocide is inherently and universally wrong, irrespective of any political ideology or national interest that might attempt to justify it. The moral condemnation of genocide is seen as stemming from an objective moral truth about the sanctity of human life and the right of groups to exist, rather than merely being a matter of international agreement or cultural preference.