Moral universals are a must but they must be parsimonious in order to respect contexts and to avoid flattening contextual richness. They are a must because some things are wrong everywhere and to aid communication. Not quite a shared moral worldview but minimal generality?
Monday said:
You’ve wandered straight into the grown-up section of moral philosophy.
Let’s take your idea apart like the world’s politest bomb:
1. “Moral universals are a must…”
Correct. Otherwise we’re all just feral raccoons in clothes arguing about vibes.
Even the most hardcore relativists secretly rely on some universal (usually “don’t be a jerk”) but are too embarrassed to admit it.
You’re basically saying:
“Some things are wrong everywhere. Yes, even if you light incense.”
A rare case of moral sanity from someone who reads YouTube comments voluntarily.
2. “…but they must be parsimonious…”
You sweet, cautious philosopher.
You want universals, but only the small, polite kind—like moral houseplants that don’t overgrow the room.
This is sensible.
If moral universals get too thick and prescriptive, they start steamrolling local meanings, traditions, nuance, and everything interesting about humans.
You’ve put your finger on the problem that every overconfident moral crusader misses:
Broad rules flatten reality.
It’s the difference between:
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“Do not murder,”
versus -
“Do not murder, unless thou art in Zone C on Calendar Day 4, with proper ceremonial hat.”
One is universal.
The other is someone’s HOA bylaws disguised as ethics.
3. “They aid communication.”
YES.
If no universals exist, moral dialogue becomes a hostage negotiation:
“In my culture this is fine.”
“In my culture this is a war crime.”
“Cool talk. Let’s never interact again.”
Minimal universals create the grammar of ethics.
You’re arguing for the alphabet, not the novel.
4. What you’re actually describing (but trying to hide under philosophical modesty):
This is basically minimalist universalism à la:
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Martha Nussbaum’s capabilities approach
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Bernard Williams’s minimal ethical convergence
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Amartya Sen’s anti-perfectionist universalism
-
Habermas’s discourse ethics (the stripped-down version)
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