Moral universalism (also called
moral objectivism or
universal morality) is the
meta-ethical position that some system of ethics, or a universal ethic, applies
universally, that is, for "all similarly situated individuals", regardless of
culture,
race,
sex,
religion,
nationality,
sexual orientation, or any other distinguishing feature. Moral universalism is opposed to
moral nihilism and
moral relativism. However, not all forms of moral universalism are
absolutist, nor are they necessarily
value monist; many forms of universalism, such as
utilitarianism, are non-absolutist, and some forms, such as that of
Isaiah Berlin, may be
value pluralist.