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Cultural Relativism

            
             Cultural Relativism is the doctrine that the moral rightness and wrongness of actions are relative to a culture. Our moral principles describe social conventions and must be based on the norms of our society. In our rapidly changing world a convergence of various cultures is an increasing trend bringing together people of diverse beliefs and moral values. The interaction of these different belief systems allows for one to question what is morally "right" and what is morally "wrong". Cultural relativism is a highly controversial concept as the main conclusion drawn is that there is no objective "truth" which many ethicists believe can threaten the discipline of ethics. .
             Cultural relativism holds two main arguments for the diversity of moral beliefs. The diversity thesis states that different cultures have different moral codes. Adultery, for example, is accepted in a society that approves of it, but is morally abhorrent in one that disapproves of it. The dependency thesis states that moral beliefs are the product of culture, and the validity of moral principles is a product of different lifestyles. The "best explanation" of actual moral diversity is that moral beliefs are the product of different ways of life (lecture, 15 moral relativism). The conclusion drawn from these two theses is that there is no objective "truth" in morality. Proposed laws of cultural relativism argue for example, that human rights as understood in the West are not necessarily applicable to the third world or the non-Western societies on the grounds that their philosophical basis is different and perhaps opposite. African societies, for example, are not based on individualism while Western conceptions of human rights are based on the autonomous individual. Western societies emphasize the role of the individual's political and civil rights whereas African and non-Western societies put more emphasis on the role of the community.


Essays Related to Cultural Relativism

1. Cultural

... can find a flawed, and inaccurate theory for the way that the world should work. Some of the biggest arguments given in defense of cultural relativism are the many different practices of different cultures from around the world. Melville J. Herskovits gives examples of a West African culture of Dahomey, ... of marriage the underlying principle of the sanctity of marriage is still held along with the need of a family structure. Another problem with cultural relativism is that it throws out the idea that there are moral absolutes. It holds that what is morally right and wrong is dependen...

  • Word Count: 1553
  • Approx Pages: 6
  • Has Bibliography
  • Grade Level: Undergraduate

2. Morality and Cultural Relativism

... of an act is solely contingent on its culturally acceptability, thus rendering an objective evaluation, be that a universal moral standard or western philosophical principles, irrelevant. The investigation of cultural relativism requires its application to events of moral ambiguity, so as to explore its ability as a legitimate moral framework. The quintessential example of such an event can be seen through ... no independent way of criticising any other culture and we should thus be tolerant of the moralities of other cultures. This is further used as an argument to accept cultural relati...

  • Word Count: 1818
  • Approx Pages: 7
  • Has Bibliography
  • Grade Level: Graduate

3. Culteral Relativism

... good rather than, it is habitual", and contends that morality is learned from the culture that one exists in alone, with no globally universal implications. So with the idea of cultural relativism, we must understand is that we are not morally right ourselves, except within the boundaries that our own culture outlines. Interference with another culture and its practices would be morally ... 's morally right. This might happen in another culture or in our own culture. In these cases normal does not appear to be synonymous with moral, and the idea of cultural relativism becomes questionabl...

  • Word Count: 1452
  • Approx Pages: 6

4. The Challenge of Cultural Relativism

... chaos because it may impede a society from progression/advancement. We must follow some universal rules (no murder or genocide) and cultural relativism rids an idea of a universal truth. In order to progress, we must be allowed to judge since there is no such thing as being ... This type of mindset would eventually "kill" the society because society is based on the interactions of human beings. If we were to accept Cultural Relativism, "We could no longer say that the customs of other societies are morally inferior to our own" (Ethics: History, theory and Contemporary ... to criticize an...

  • Word Count: 805
  • Approx Pages: 3
  • Grade Level: High School

5. On Cultural Relativism

... to believe certain things, some things that many others do not even think about or even know exist and this is were the problem lies in cultural relativism. There are different moral codes for us to follow, who are we to say what is morally right and morally wrong for someone else? Therefore ... 309). So once again this goes back to the point that we cannot tell a culture that their practices are wrong or immoral if everyone in that cultural approves of it. Cultural relativism presumes that a moral action within a given society is correct as long as the society believes in the act. This...

  • Word Count: 905
  • Approx Pages: 4
  • Has Bibliography
  • Grade Level: Undergraduate

6. Cultural Relativism Vs Universal Children's Rights

... I do not disagree with her theory, I am focusing my project on the cultures in the United States. In the U.S., there have been many cases of extreme cultural relativism, and as mentioned before we have to consider cultural differences when analyzing and judging cases. Though I cannot cover every story broke in the US, I have researched a couple of topics important to me, as I personally am ... have committed crimes? Denial, shame or religion? Best-case scenario for those hiding, the people might be thoughtful, sensitive, since this is a church we should protect the home of god???. Cultu...

  • Word Count: 3097
  • Approx Pages: 12
  • Has Bibliography
  • Grade Level: High School

7. Cultural Realism

... views. The two points of view are on opposite ends of the ethical spectrum. Many ethicists have come to believe after studying both attitudes that cultural relativism is a direct threat to the discipline of ethics. They believe that by having values that are only relative to a given culture, there is no way to create "universal moral absolutes ... outcome is morally right or wrong." This is one of the driving differences between empirical sciences and normative discipline. Ethics is open to all opinions, without have a specific correct answer. Cultural relativism is "the idea that each...

  • Word Count: 519
  • Approx Pages: 2
  • Grade Level: Undergraduate

8. Ethical Relativism

... to. Therefore, what is moral or ethical in one culture may be seen as unethical in another culture. In her article, "A Defense of Moral Relativism," Ruth Benedict states that "Morality is culturally relative. " (79) Morality depends on culture. " What one society approves may be disgraceful and unacceptable ... to one culture may be seen as morally wrong to another. The philosophy of cultural moral relativism teaches us that morals and ethics of a culture are only applicable within that culture and other cultural morals, ethics and values are not better or worse, simply different. Further...

  • Word Count: 962
  • Approx Pages: 4
  • Grade Level: Undergraduate

9. Cultural Relativism

... of chaos. Or more precisely, an attitude that does not strive for progression or advancement and simply takes the lowest denominator. The idea of ethical relativism says that what is right in one culture may be wrong in another, yet to that culture it is right and therefore cannot be discriminated against ... given night to drink and have fun with friends. The locals feel that the students should be controlled and restricted. However according to ethical relativism, the views of the students are not wrong and should be respected. Which means that the local population should have no right...

  • Word Count: 817
  • Approx Pages: 3
  • Grade Level: High School

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