Cultural relativism Essays

Cultural relativism, in its most absolute form, is defined as culture being the “sole source of validity of a moral right or rule” (Donnelly, 1984). Such an extreme notion of cultural relativity may sometimes result in the infringement of individual human rights and fundamental freedoms. On the other hand, absolute universalism holds that culture is irrelevant to the validity of moral rights and rules. According to Article 4 of the UNESCO Universal Declaration on Cultural Diversity, cultural diversity

Cultural Relativism is a theory that states various cultures have their respective and distinct moral values. First introduced by anthropologist Franz Boas and popularized by his students, this theory was meant to explain the reasons behind the different practices carried out across different communities (Lewis, 2001). In recent years, modern philosophers James and Stuart Rachels openly disagreed with the validity of Cultural Relativism by claiming that all human communities hold the same fundemental

from cultural relativism, a theory that implements the idea that there is no right or wrong. In this, various standards, morals and behaviours in societies should be taken into thought. This theory is built around concepts that other cultures may not define the right or wrong for every culture, however beliefs and behaviours must be appraised as right or wrong on every cultures degree, in other words what is considered immoral or moral is culture-specific. It is valid to say that as cultural relativism

Cultural relativism has a variety of definitions, but the main idea is that a universal code of ethics does not exist--it varies culture to culture. Rachel’s examines cultural relativism in “The Challenge of Cultural Relativism” and argues that there are commonalities of ethics throughout every culture. Rachels sections off his argument to better explain what they believe. In this piece, they argue that cultural relativism is not a proper theory. They argue that it has many major flaws, but they

Relativism is the conception that believes one’s value, behavior, belief and morality have no universal validity; all of them are equally valid and are related to other certain elements. Relativism is often associated with a normative position, usually pertaining to how people ought to regard or behave towards those with whom they morally disagree. (Stanford University, 2008) Cultural relativism is a theory that deals with the diversity among different cultures. It considers that people live in a

the world of philosophy, specifically ethics, there is always a controversy about Cultural Relativism, due to the different bias of where the values and beliefs of a person come from, either the culture they grew up in, the experiences they face throughout life as well as the way they were raised. James Rachels in his essay analyzes the format of ethical relativism which he calls Cultural Relativism. Cultural Relativism as defined by James Rachels “is a theory about the nature of morality.” Rachels

words, moral universalism will overrule cultural relativism inasmuch as the relativist argument discussed in this essay will fail to provide cogent responses to the universalist’s objections. However, to balance the debate, I will additionally highlight the benefits that the relativist theory brings to light,

how we should ethically treat people. In many cases this declaration did not succeed and different cultures have their own ethical guidelines which go against this declaration. These culture specific ethics are defined as cultural relativism (Brusseau, 2012). Cultural relativism is the belief that ethics are not the result of universal reason; they are solely based on the individual cultures history (Brusseau, 2012). Here in America when you get pulled over for committing a traffic violation, the

Cultural relativism is the understanding of other cultures in their own terms. To achieve the understanding of the rituals used in the cultures of another, one must be able to look at them from an emic (insider) perspective. One must also be able to look at his own culture from an etic (outsider) perspective. The ability to look at one’s culture from the etic point of view will make it easier to explain the rituals to someone from a different culture, for example, rites of passage. Rites of passage

belief that one’s own culture or group is superior to others, and the tendency to view all other cultures from the perspective of one’s own (Conley, 2013 77.) By discussing the difference between ethnocentrism, cultural relativism, and along with the position that I favor most. Cultural relativism is taking into account the differences across cultures without passing judgement or assigning value. (Conley, 2013 82.) Ethnocentrism is still being used today,and we are surrounded by a different variety of

another (Stavenhagen 2001:90). Every individual is born into a culture, and participation in cultural life is considered a human right in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR). Article 22 of UDHR (UDHR) also states that cultural rights are indispensible to human dignity. At the same time, the diversity of cultural practices has been traditionally seen as

The theory of cultural relativism is criticized and questioned by many; it is considered as one of the weakest arguments pertaining to human rights. This is because it is established that human rights are needed not for life but for a life of dignity. Furthermore, human rights should be universal, fundamental, and inalienable, and thus they cannot and should not be overridden by cultural relativism. Arguments presented by cultural relativism against human rights tend to be contradictory in nature

This journal article, “Cultural Relativist and Feminist Critiques of International Human Rights - Friends or Foes?” by Oonagh Reitman seeks to rouse discussion about the similarities between two critiques of universal human rights: cultural relativists and feminists, despite the antagonistic position both groups tend to take against each other. In the beginning, he lays out the basis of critique of international human rights by each camp. Cultural relativists argue that the universal human rights

Different Moral Views Over centuries of fervent discussion in the moral world, there is still nothing like a consensus on a set of moral views. This essay attempts to outline and critically evaluate two moral views, namely ethical objectivism and cultural relativism. It is crucial to understand that both moral theories cannot be true at the same time as it results in contradictions, contributing to false beliefs. Additionally, it is essential that we discuss these issues with an open-mind so as to gain

In contrast, ethnocentrism obstructs us from observing and understanding other cultures and it is seen as culturally insensitive along with an exclusive way of thinking. The notion of viewing the world from one's own perspective is discouraged since it prohibits us from discovering and observing other cultures. Nonetheless, it is significantly difficult in maintaining a relativistic approach, especially when confronted with conflicting or foreign ideologies. For example, the political party, Britain

Relativism is a philosophical belief that is described as “a family of views whose common theme is that some central aspect of experience, thought, evaluation, or even reality is relative to something else” (Standford University 2003). Relativism believes that each opinion is equally valid. Relativism is often presented when it comes to the problem “how people ought to regard or behave towards those with whom they morally disagree” (Stanford University 2008). Cultural relativism is a more specific

belief because, they believe that morals are distinctive from each individual culture. These relativists as described are mixing up moral and cultural distinctions, or are simply not willing to completely understanding the cultures they are standing up for. There are two different types of relativism Ethical, and Cultural, that rely upon the argument of cultural differences, which have flaws that make the argument unsound. Although cultures throughout the world are distinct from one another, along with

In order for someone who actively opposes, or is unfamiliar with the term cultural relativism, it is critical that they question the way that they have previously viewed differing cultures. It is important that it is understood that all cultures are very different, encompassing very different beliefs, traditions, and morals. With this being said, I would provide them with some American customs that tend to be negatively viewed by many cultures throughout the world. Many outsiders, who aren’t accustomed

Cultural Relativism Culture plays a significant role in the determination of the proper engagement of an individual. Any given act is moral when the cultural dictates believe that the law is moral. Similarly, the immoral acts within a given culture when the societal norms do not conform to the actions. One only needs a cultural approval to understand whether a given action fits to be moral or immoral in the society. All the cultures around the world are equally justified in their beliefs. The paper

In Philosophy, cultural relativism is trying to convey that everybody is equal and there no such thing as a better society in a sense. In this source it states, “Those who hold to cultural relativism hold that all religious, ethical, aesthetic, and political beliefs are completely relative to the individual within a cultural identity.” There is no ultimate standard of good and evil, and you cannot have your own opinion. Therefore, every judgement about right and wrong is a product of society. In