Absolute Truth
					I've heard many people claim that there is no absolute truth.  In point of fact, when they are talking about truth claims in general, they are just wrong.  2 + 2 = 4 .  It's true.  It's absolute.  And it's unyielding.  But, to be fair, we should limit the discussion to moral truth.  So the question becomes, is there such a thing as absolute moral truth. First, the term moral is clear to me, the term truth is clear to me, but I am not so sure of the term absolute.  Maybe I'm just stupid.  But to me, it could mean either 1) universal, that is, true for me, for you, and for Fred, etc...  Or 2) it could mean true in all pertinent situations.  For example, in chess, there is a principle known as "knights before bishops" meaning you should deploy your knights before you deploy your bishops.  This, however, is not an absolute rule in chess.  There are times when bishops are deployed first.  I'm inclined to think that the latter of these two definitions is what is intended.  If a moral principle is not universal, it really is not a principle.  There is 3) a third possible definition of absolute and that is "certain".  With this definition, the claim that there is no absolute moral truth is equivalent to the claim that nothing is certain in morality. With respect to 1) I think I can claim as universal the principle "It is morally wrong to commit murder for your own selfish gain."  And I'm inclined to think that every civilized society agrees with me.  This may even hold for 2) as well.  I can't think of a situation where it would be morally right to commit murder for my own selfish gain.  Finally, we come to 3) is this certain.  I think it is.  If you can come up with a counterargument, e-mail me.  The problem for the No Absolute Truthers is this: some, but not all, moral knowledge is incommunicable and is therefore based on experience and not on principles written in stone.  With this in mind, a number of principles that seem fine on a cursory glance (Do not lie) are proven not absolute through living.  Generally speaking, one should not lie.  But if you are harboring Jews in Nazi Germany and the Nazis come knocking on your door, you never saw them.  Moral principles and experience work together to guide an individual through his/her life.  Experience varies from individual to individual.  Moral principles also seem to vary (whether or not they should and by how much is a separate question) but they also seem to converge at what I call the moral minimum. Here are a couple examples of what I think are absolute moral truths: It is absolutely morally wrong to skin a man alive while children watch.   In terms of goodness, assuming he actually did it, Jesus' last act on the cross probably will not be topped.  ("Forgive them Father, for they know not what they do." -- after being beaten and crucified.)
		Long Live Socrates and the Eternal Search for Truth.  Death to Relativism in all its hideous guises.
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