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Because how would you know about direction? I find that universal truth can act as a starting point in ethics. They in and of themselves cannot be relied upon for making specific ethical decisions, but they guide us toward that.
For example, I would say that one universal truth is that violence is harmful. But that in and of itself isn't useful in making decisions because there are circumstances that are unaccounted for in that idea.
Knowing violence is harmful allows us to make more specific judgement such as "murder is wrong." Otherwise, what makes it wrong? Think about Libya where the government has it in their mind that it is in their right to kill innocent civilians. What makes them wrong? Are they wrong? We think they're wrong because we believe the innocent do not deserve death in this way. But these are relative positions. I think this government knows damn well that violence causes harm; it's why they're using it. It is through the idea of universal truth that we can apply a unified set of ideals that apply globally, despite those who would choose to eschew them. Or are these all just opinions? Maybe Ghaddafi isn't "wrong" per se. Do we just disagree with him?
You could even say, well, but sadomasochists think that violence is pleasurable. But is this so in the absence of harm? Do they not find the pleasure in the harm? Between consensual adults, perhaps the violence they partake in isn't wrong after all, but it is still true that violence causes harm.
Is it not a universal truth that violence is harmful?
Even if the violence is inept and doesn't actually inflict any physical damage, I think the harmful nature of violence is unavoidable. Simply getting into a state to want to inflict violence is itself a harmful state, both to the minds of those involved and to the bystanders who may be horrified by it.
Violence is an intent to harm or destroy; how is this not harmful? But that is not the point. As I said, it's not universal truth that we use in ethical decisions. It's subjective observations based on what we know objectively.
Two sides of the same coin, but when you make a purchase, you need to use the whole coin.
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Knowing that death is certain and that the time of death is uncertain, what's the most important thing?
—Bhikkhuni Pema Chödrön
Humankind cannot bear very much reality.
—From "Burnt Norton," Four Quartets (1936), T. S. Eliot
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