Semantics? Why is the concept of "right" often challenged as fallacious?

Answer 1

I suspect it is because it is a relativistic term. What is right, here and now, may not be tomorrow. What you think is right, is just relative. People think, for example, that Bush is right or not right. Depends on point of view. Even the concept that two plus two equals four can be not right in a base 4 system, where 2+2=10.
The Ten Commandments, bibles might say, "thou shall not kill" or Slay, or Murder, depending. If you believe it is never right to kill, come into my house and try and hurt my family.
In Sparta, it was right to kill non-perfect babies and the uncoupled elderly. Is that right?
Right is fallacious because to much of what we think of as right or wrong depends on the ethical relativism in place.

Answer 2

I need more input. The concept of "right" when applied incorrectly, would be fallacious. Is this a word game? Any concept could be challenged as fallacious if it contains a fallacy. That is the best I can do with the information you provide. Good luck.

Answer 3

Any concept is potentially fallacious, depending on ones point of view & ones will to gain a deeper understanding.

Answer 4

I think because an individual's perception on life is shaped greatly by their experiences, especially as a child. Similar to love, right and wrong can not completely be explained outside of a dictionary because who's to say what's correct? Who is the final judge? Surely not any one of us mortals. So even though to me and you it wouldn't seem right to harm another, some people still do it. There's a difference between those individuals in regards to if they're doing it KNOWING it's wrong, or simply not having a concept of ethics.

So where is the yardstick for morality?

Can any one of us truly judge?

I think not without bias reservations.

Answer 5

The three related concepts are objective, subjective and intersubjective. As philosophy concerns itself with ethics, knowledge and truth, it becomes important to distinguish such concepts.

All things that are considered "right" can be demonstrated to be subjective and intersubjective. If your society believes that something is wrong or right, it becomes more difficult to see evidence that contradicts that viewpoint.

For example, killing is wrong is a cultural and time senstive moral issue. Throughout history killing has been legal and socially acceptable. Killing also occured long before the begin of theistic religions that had codes against killing. However, even in monotheistic religions, even killing can be justified and especially since the days of Descartes.

Sorry, but I wasn't clear on why you felt it was an issue of semantics.