Cultural Relativism Essay

Cultural Relativism is an important ethical theory and James Rachels’ argument is significant to provide evidence to prove and disprove the idea. It is important to call attention to and understand differences between cultures. Tolerance is also an valid concept when arguing Cultural Relativism. Regardless of the outcome or viewpoint of the argument it is significant in the fact that it raises awareness for tolerance and differences between cultures and that no culture is more superior or more correct

Ethical Relativism, Cultural Relativism, and Ethical Absolutism Ethical relativists argue that what is morally right or wrong may vary in fundamental way from person to person or from culture to culture. In other words, as Robert Arrington (1983) argues, we cannot simply say that a moral judgement is true for all purposes, persons, and cultures-we can assert only that it is true for a particular person or social group. Cultural relativism is a form of relativism that claims that moral beliefs and

1- Discuss the pitfalls of the debate surrounding universalism and cultural relativism. Which seems to be stronger in Law and in Humanities and the Social Sciences. You can give some of your personal experiences if you wish. Answer: Cultural relativism is the perspective according to which every culture has its norms, standards, values, traditions, culture and custom. No culture is superior to any other culture. In this way, the entire moral codes of the world going to be grounded because everyone

Cultural relativism is a theory that explains the differences among cultures and their ethics and morals. This theory describe the moral, ethical, and societal differences that diverse cultures experience. Ethical relativism, as described by Ruth Benedict, suggests that normal behavior differs from society to society. What is viewed as morally right for one society can be viewed as morally wrong for another society (Timmons, 2012, p. 55). To support this view, Benedict cites how certain cultural

Cultural relativism refers to the concept of assessing an individual’s values, belief system and cultural practices not in isolation but against the backdrop of other cultural practices and beliefs. To understand the dynamics of cultural relativism, it is important to understand the theory of relativism. In terms of culture, relativism focuses on breaking free from the idea that moral standards of an individual or a society can be compartmentalized, because we are all ultimately governed by ethical

1. The definition of cultural relativism is the idea that cultures should be understood from the point of view of the people of that culture. Cultural relativism is basically what is relevant in another person’s culture. There is no universal definition of right or wrong, so each individual culture sort of dictates on its own what they consider to be right and wrong. For example, what may be regarded as taboo in one culture. May be considered ok or even normal in another culture. (young girls marrying

the anthropological definition of cultural relativism is that only the people that are part of a particular culture should be the ones to define and portray that culture’s aspects. No other culture should be allowed to criticize another culture for their beliefs, or compare their culture to another culture. Anthropologists use cultural relativism when studying another culture. To do so, anthropologists must be very open-minded. They have to put their own cultural beliefs aside when they study another

opinions or cultural ideal, then would it not be impossible for one’s ethical opinions or cultural ideals to ever be wrong? In terms of ethical relativism, the moral views of all individuals or all cultures are all equally good and therefore nothing can be intrinsically valuable, as they are all the same. Things are valuable only because we accept them as such. If there is no way for us to be wrong, then there is no value in being right, as everything is right. If ethical relativism is true, then

Ethnocentrism and Cultural Relativism Ethnocentrism and cultural relativism are two contrasting terms that are displayed by different people all over the world. Simply put, ethnocentrism is defined as “judging other groups from the perspective of one’s own cultural point of view.” Cultural relativism, on the other hand, is defined as “the view that all beliefs are equally valid and that truth itself is relative, depending on the situation, environment, and individual.” Each of these ideas

1. Ethnocentrism is a tendency to use our own group’s ways of doing things as a yardstick for judging others (Pg. 40, Ch. 2). Cultural Relativism is understanding a culture on its own terms (Pg. 41, Ch.2). The concept I favor is Cultural Relativism because people should be able to understand and recognize a different culture’s background. It is evident that everyone has different ways to go about life/culture. Coming from another country and knowing two different cultures, helps me understand two