Abstract

In her book La questione morale (Milano, Raffaello Cortina editore, 2010) Roberta De Monticelli holds that the present political corruption in Italy comes from moral nihilism and lack of moral autonomy, which are consequences of moral relativism (or skepticism) largely shared by italian people. Four queries on that position are raised here. First: is there a sound argument to refute moral relativism and to show that moral knowledge is possible? Second: is there a conceptual or causal relationship between moral relativism and moral nihilism? Third: is it possible to convince someone that moral relativism is false by the force of reason alone, that is in conformity with De Monticelli's model of intersubjective discourse? Fourth: is italian society really characterized by moral nihilism or lack of moral autonomy?