Explain how Lewis responds to the objection that moral rules are merely social conventions.

### Why this is right Lewis’s response depends on the difference between a convention that could readily have been otherwise and a standard that people use to judge conduct. He also argues that moral progress would be unintelligible if every society’s approval created its own unchallengeable standard. ### The concept A convention is a shared practice that could vary without changing the underlying moral question, such as driving on the left or right. Lewis argues that moral codes show differences, but also share basic expectations. When people call one code better, they implicitly compare both codes with a standard that is not identical to either society’s opinion. He also warns that some apparent moral changes are changes in factual belief, not moral principle. ### What a good answer covers - A clear contrast between convention and moral standard. - The role of moral comparison and the idea of progress. - The distinction between disagreements about values and disagreements about facts. ### Terms - **Convention**: A socially agreed practice that could have been established differently. - **Moral progress**: Improvement measured against a standard, rather than mere change over time. ### Remember Calling one moral code better than another assumes a standard beyond local preference.