Ethical Relativism and the Ideal Observer

Abstract

I SHOW THAT RODERICK FIRTH'S IDEAL OBSERVER THEORYCONTAINS A LOOPHOLE WHICH ALLOWS CONFLICTING ETHICALSTATEMENTS TO BE TRUE. TO REMEDY THIS, I RECOMMEND THAT WEADD TO THE LIST OF DEFINING CHARACTERISTICS OF AN IDEALOBSERVER, THE REQUIREMENT THAT HE BE UNABLE TO HAVEOBLIGATION-DETERMINING REACTIONS TOWARD ACTS WHICH HE KNOWSTO BE INCOMPATIBLE.