The ethical relativism is the position of thought which consists in saying that it is not possible to order the values morals thanks to criteria of classification.

The objective of the ethical relativism is to justify that since it is not possible to find criterion satisfactory, all the values morals are worth. The ethical relativism makes it possible to escape very critical, with any objection on the values. Like skepticism, it is more one argumentation of defense that a real philosophical work. A moral value defines what is, for it, " its vérité" and the ethical relativism protects it.

Idealistic thinkers as Kant will seek to impose the unicity of " Morale" by laicizing single Christian morals and universal.

Thinkers materialists like Spinoza or Nietzsche will preserve the plurality of human morals while staining to find criteria which make it possible to judge a value (" Which is the value of a moral value? "). The favorisation or the harmful effect of the life is the criterion generally met among thinkers materialists.