Moral Relativism | EssayIvy.com

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Fourth Paper Assignment: The Apt Pupil

Introduction

Moral relativism is how people or societies differ in their ethnic behaviors. People have different

morals that come from the setup in the societies they live in. The society plays significant roles

in shaping morals through the activities that are undertaken or nurtured within it. Still, the

society develops personalities from a morally-ignorant background to morally-shaped futures. In

this regard, what one culture terms as wrong might be right to another culture. When people say

something is wrong or right, they reflect what their community has taught them. For example,

some communities believe in polygamy while others believe in monogamy family structures. To

the monogamist, the polygamist is bad or vice versa. A relativist judges information on the

condition that they are in. the do what they think is right in their conscious or the consciousness

of the society at large. Also, conceptualization of the morality in actions differ in interpretation

as interpretation lies on the relativist. This study aims at understanding the complicated nature of

moral relativism and how Stephen King’s in the Apt Pupil brings out different moral positioning

through his characters. Some societal behaviours are deemed right or wrong irrespective of an

individual’s personal conditions and ethnicity, but morals foster behaviour change.

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Body

Moral relativist apply three ways of looking at morality which include, descriptive

approach, meta-ethical approach or the normative approach. Moral relativist who employ a

descriptive approach argue that moral disagreements are okay. Those who hold a meta-ethical

viewpoint suggest that no one is objectively right or wrong, and the normative relativist add that

if no one is morally right or wrong, tolerance is needed to accommodate the difference in

morality conceptualization. King in Apt Pupil, uses his main characters Todd and Dussander

who have different ethnicity and their actions contradicts the needs and teachings of the society.

However, there are other minor characters referred to in the book who have different moral

standings. King reveals to us ethically objectionable characters in his script to elaborate the setup

of society. This book embraces themes around truth and falsehoods involved by humans in

running their daily activities. Still, the book’s development raises knowledge, perception,

actuality, and change hence revealing a great deal of moral relativism. The story develops on a

search for truth experience where the government posts ads on Nazi German atrocities invoking

the desire of a young man to search for the truth (King 120). The ordeal reveals moral positions

that vary in different perspectives which are all directed to fulfilling an inner urge of satisfaction.

Suggestively, the book reveals how the Jews were mistreated in the Nazi war which explains

some bits of culture relativism and how this later develops to individual relativism as shown by

Todd and Dussander.

In our communities, certain behaviors are regarded a right while others are wrong. As

children we are taught to follow certain ways but as one develops, we adopt different feeling of

the actions we do. Sometimes we find ourselves doing the wrong things thinking it’s the right or

that is how we convince our minds. The primary dispute within morals is the degree of how right

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or wrong a behavior could be (Sarkissian et al. 482). Todd Bowden, the apt pupil, has the

determination of a young man who is devoted to knowledge and curiosity. However, he manages

to lie to his parents about his studies at the old man’s house “Arthur Denker,” little would they

know he was blackmailing the old man to share his memories at the Nazi war. Todd is eager to

gain knowledge but at the same time uses mischievous methods to convince his parents. How

right or wrong this is could only lies on the arguments between the justification of Todd’s action

and the acceptance of ethical relativism. Conventionally, children are not supposed to lie to their

parents, but still, curiosity and pursuit of knowledge may subject them to bad actions aimed at

achieving a purpose. Since Todd makes an individual decision to lie, he is entitled to his deeds

and actions however how wrong they are. Moral objectivity finds its way into the society by

setting clear guidelines that govern how people live and share human experience. Still, from this

objectivity, is where isolation and distancing from the good norms originates.

Similarly, person conditioning suggests their behaviorism. When we are conditioned as

bright students, we have the ability to judge an action very fast and give a fast response. Some

people can lie faster than others while some do not have the courage to do so. Todd is well

equipped with his responses when interrogated. He hides his inner personality with a natural

deceptive posture. Todd is conditioned to be a killer, and due to his ability to lie, his parents

cannot know the truth. When Monica, his mother seemed disturbed by his deterioration in

school, on inquiry, Todd easily diverges her doubts with a defiant smile (King 152). Equally,

detective Richler is aware of the levels Todd can compose himself when being questioned (King

275). Such situations strengthen people to deviate from moral reasoning. A relativist might argue

that the ability of being composed and convincing is developed by individual beliefs. Todd feels

rightfully entitled to what he does without a slight thought of how wrong he could be. He is not

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worried of doing anything wrong because he can reason fast when need be. Relativism, assumes

collective approval of behaviors or morals develops a culture whereas individual relativity is

developed by individual’s judgment. Todd’s parents expect the truth from their son as a cultural

requirement for obedience but Todd has embraced his delusive nature to materialize his

ambitions.

Todd is supposed to reflect the behavior of his culture throughout his growth to have the

identity of his society. His quest for explanation from Dussander drive his naivety of knowing

about killing. According to the society, Todd is supposed to exercise what the ethnicity feels is

right, but contrary to that, Todd has another personality he wants to develop. That said, the hunt

for information drives him to his complete evil nature. Argument stands out on how morality

fosters behavioral change and how such a condition can be used to judge the rightness and

wrongness of an action. Activism advocates for harmonious coexisting of all people in a society.

Nonetheless, behaviors nurtured in a young man will ultimately deviate much from the intended

process. The Subjectivity of moral beliefs that is implied by moral relativism will ultimately

undermine the objectivity required to trigger a virtuous action (Rai and Keith 999). Complexity

in moral relativism shows that there is no reason to justify moral beliefs at the expense of moral

preferences to give objective facts on the moral position of an action. Nevertheless, it is evident

that this notion can be used to explain why Todd’s decisions are related to his own preferences.

When people disagree about ethics, there develops contrasting positions of morals. When

a child thinks stealing is bad while the other feels it is right, what transpires is conflict. Goodwin

and John indicate that ethical disputes ascend from the differences within the content of the

ethical beliefs (3). Todd and Dussander differ in their perceptions about each other. Todd views

Dussander as the evil one with a blind eye on himself. “Todd looked down, feeling the old

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sickening lift and drop in his stomach. Terror, hate, and a desire to do something so awful it

could only be fully contemplated in his dreams” (King 198). Technically, the two sail in the

same ideologies emerging from a different perspectives. Both Todd and Dussander want to

escape the punishment of their actions by covering up for each other. Objectified morality

suggest that two wrongs or two rights have one of either side mistakenly placed. The problem is

how to interpret that which is misplaced. However, relativist feels the context of addressing the

issue of disagreement is what might reveal a good choice of denouncing the morally wrong from

the ethically right. Additionally, the variance of objectivity corresponds to the variations of

moral conceptions.

In the same way, moral relativity is no objection where goals differ. When we have

different goals in life, everybody works to beautify of nurture them regardless of what we do.

Sometimes we do bad things to get to our goals. This can be explained by those who engage in

corruption to get to a specific achievement. Whether goals are personal or in the public interest,

the varying intentions and objectives institute a complex judgmental processes. The book “Apt

Pupil’s”, characters have different aims. Todd is concerned about Dussander’s memories while

the parents are interested in “Denker’s” relationship with their son. Similarly, Rubber Ed French

is interested in finding the old man who personated Todd’s Grandfather while Weiskopf is

determined to find the whereabouts of the Dussander, the former Nazi death commander. Rubber

Ed French loses his life to Todd due to his goal of looking for the impersonator. All these goals

differ in purpose, and the appeal each has for their target contrast. Rai and Keith infer that

research shows a relationship between moral attitudes and corresponding behavioral intentions

(996). Dussander is obliged to fight his battle in maintaining a low profile to keep away from his

pursuers.

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Persons will exercise any atrocity to fulfill their desires and protection of self.

Descriptively, this statement indicates how people are concerned of their well-being but are not

considerate of what they do to others. What is more, is how to recognize the appropriateness of

one’s actions when the parties involved are self and people. It is very natural to find yourself

defending your interest even if they are wrong. Sometimes we do what we know is wrong so that

we can achieve a particular purpose or desire. Contextually, Not only does Todd blackmail

Dussander by threatening to expose him if he declined to tell him stories, but also ensures his

safety by lying that his friend had a letter of his association with Dussander and he would

forward to the police in anything happened to Todd (King 202). Likewise, Dussander has

designed a lie to secure himself by saying that he has written a letter regarding their association

and deposited it in a safe bank account. They both disobey what is morally right to secure their

interests.

Unlike the objectivists, relativists denote that morality is deemed to change. This is what

we earlier noted as what we were taught as kids might go on to diminish and we adopt new

changes. An ethnicity that is not strict on punishing wrongdoers, people tend to change from

what was right to what is wrong and from what is right to wrong without any strong restrictions.

Social standards that are observed from human behavior change with time whenever the

possessors find fit. Todd changes from a golden child to an evil person. He kills the homeless

and ultimately, with his rifle, hunts the souls of people through a freeway. Also, Dussander finds

comfort in his rather quiet stay at South California as he is separated from his pursuers and the

evil activities he once engaged with. Nevertheless, the real self in Dussander still lies skin deep

because when Todd invokes the immoral in him, he kills the homeless vagrants in south

California and buries their bodies in a basement. Moral relativists have no confinement to the

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behaviors they adopt as they are open to change anytime. They are certainly trapped to their own

beliefs which justify their actions. When people cannot collectively shelter objective facts within

the society, people approve to their personifying elements regardless of their inhumane nature.

When a decision involves many people is not like involving a single person. When

judging an action towards one community in oppression is not the same when those communities

are many. Beebe states that boundaries that specify permissibility of actions are sensitive to

particular comparison or contrasting classes presumed by the speakers’ assertions (712). Beebe

gives an example of a Nazi soldier who treats Jewish prisoners with some shreds of kindness will

be regarded as a ‘kind guard’ whereas if the subjects to these murders involved more than one

class of Jews, the guard would be termed as ‘unfair guard’ (712). This is because the earlier

action was viewed in respect to Jewish tribe only while the latter action was viewed in respect to

different victims. Dussander is acting in capacity of commander which seems like serving his

mandate for his community which might justify his actions but on the other hand, he was acting

against the will of the larger external community which condemns his actions. This indicates the

difference by which people term actions to be positive or negative, and how unclear a judgment

can be in determining the extents by which the society should term an action as right or wrong.

Morals are seen to be variables depending on the class in context and how actions are taken

when dealing with one class of people and when there are many classes.

Conclusion

Conclusively, people have different moralities and personal conditions, certain behaviors

are viewed as either or wrong to everyone but relativists believe that behavioral change is

essential. Additionally, disregarding the ethics contrast with the morals, thus moral relativism is

complicated as revealed in Stephen King’s book. Morality relativism relates to how people

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develop natural behaviors following the societies we live in after which people place different

interpretations of the behaviors developed in the society. People have different ways of dealing

with things because they either believe they are right or wrong. Conversely, moral relativism

grows from how the society at large views and interprets stuff to individuals instilling actions,

behaviors and different interpretations to them. The degree of stating an action as wrong or right

differs from one culture to another and closely from one individual to another. As the book

reveals, Todd and Dussander portray independence in decision making and in justifying their

actions. Some of their behaviors are developed due to the desire to fulfill their personality and

that’s how we see them developing the love for evil by increasing hostility to peers and

authorities. Still, due to the change each undergoes goes through, they show how moral standards

change. Additionally, Contrasting issues on ethical beliefs cause relativeness of moral

comprehension. Goals too might differ in the intentions of daily chores and responsibilities

which leads to conflicts and disagreements. Morality objectivity states the measures that people

take when they want to prove something is wrong or right but even more overwhelming is how

people develop their own judgments of actions and end up developing certain behaviors which

inhibits the collective understanding of morality.

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Works Cited

Goodwin, Geoffrey P., and John M. Darley. "The perceived objectivity of ethical beliefs:

King, Stephen. Different Seasons. , 2016.

Beebe, James R. "Moral relativism in context." Noûs 44.4 (2010): 691-724.

Psychological findings and implications for public policy." Review of Philosophy and

Psychology.

Rai, Tage S., and Keith J. Holyoak. "Exposure to moral relativism compromises moral

behavior." Journal of Experimental Social Psychology.

Sarkissian, Hagop, et al. "Folk moral relativism." Mind & Language.

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