Final answer:
It is true that traditional ethical theories face difficulties in resolving contemporary problems. Societal changes, technological advances, and diverse viewpoints have led to ethical dilemmas that require nuanced and modern approaches beyond what traditional theories like utilitarian and deontological ethics typically provide.
Step-by-step explanation:
The claim that traditional ethical theories have had great difficulty in solving new contemporary problems is true. The 20th and 21st centuries have seen profound changes that challenge traditional approaches to ethics, including a decline in the acceptance of natural law theory, complexities introduced by technological and medical advancements, and evolving societal norms. Modern problems such as those posed by bioethics and environmental ethics require nuance and contemporary thought that traditional ethical frameworks like deontological or utilitarian may not fully address. These contemporary issues encompass diverse and complex situations such as abortion, euthanasia, and climate change, which traditional theories sometimes struggle to resolve due to their more general nature or their grounding in assumptions that do not account for modern contexts.
Moreover, the rise of pluralism and relativism has highlighted the diversity in moral beliefs and the conflicts inherent in situating values relative to one another. Ethical theories proposed by Feminist theoreticians, Existentialists, Pragmatists, and others address some limitations of traditional theories by focusing on the role of human emotions, the limits of human reason, and biases in previous ethical frameworks.
Contemporary philosophers continue to seek new foundations for modern moral philosophy that better align with today's challenges, including questioning long-standing principles such as the universality of certain moral duties and the inadequacy of moral absolutism or cultural relativism. This search reflects the ongoing need to develop ethical theories that are relevant and effective in addressing the nuanced and ever-evolving landscape of today's moral dilemmas.