Final answer:
Scottish philosopher Sir William David Ross argued for objective moral values that become diversified through cultural interpretations. He critiqued simplistic moral theories and introduced prima facie duties, advocating for a more nuanced understanding of moral obligations.
Step-by-step explanation:
The Scottish philosopher who argued that there are underlying objective moral values but that these are corrupted in various cultures is Sir William David Ross. Ross was a proponent of moral pluralism and is well known for introducing the concept of prima facie duties, an idea that suggests we have multiple moral obligations, which might not always align perfectly and are thus contextually dependent. Morality, to Sir William David Ross, was never about one absolute law but rather about a series of principles and duties that sometimes compete with one another, making ethical decision-making more complex.
Ross's critique of earlier moral theories such as utilitarianism and deontology was that they oversimplified moral life by reducing it to a single principle. He sought to create a moral theory that accounted for the intricacies of our common sense moral experiences. His work offers insight into the challenges of defining objective morality amidst cultural differences and personal moral convictions.