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Criticism Of Cultural Relativism

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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 Gallagher’s PowerPoint it states, “The cultural relativist will claim that the reason why certain actions are considered right or wrong is exactly the same reason why driving on the right side of the road is correct in the United States and is the …show more content…

The first criticism implies that if cultural relativism is true, then internal criticism is impossible. The second criticism says that if cultural relativism is true, then external criticism is impossible. Internal criticism is impossible for a cultural relativist to criticize. A good modern-day example of this is gun control in America. Since the recent shooting that happened in Florida there has been soar in the talks about gun control. As of today, a lot of people believe that there should be a ban on guns. However, a lot of people think we should be able to bear arms because of what the constitution states. A cultural relativist would not be able to have an opinion on this and wouldn’t be able to criticize the gun laws in the United States. Another example would be abortion. In the United States abortion is known when a pregnancy is ended, so that it doesn't result in the birth of a child. In fact, it is even known as termination of pregnancy. Abortion has been legal in the United States since 1973, but has always been an ongoing controversy. Many people see it as taking the life of an innocent baby that has yet to see the world. Cultural relativist has no option whether this act is wrong or right. They have to agree on what their culture practices. There is no right or wrong in this scenario and both views are looked upon as …show more content…

Not having a say in whether you agree or disagree with the scenario just seems inhumane. In Gallagher’s PowerPoint it sates, “All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood” (GP 85). Being a cultural relativist contradicts this statement. They technically aren’t free because they voice their own opinion. What is the point in living if you have to agree with everything your culture is doing? There is no freedom of speech also because you have no argument. Why should you not be able to express your own opinion? Believing that there is no right and wrong and everything is equal is horrifying. In some cultures, cultural relativists had to agree with slavery, and even eating their own dad. There is really no benefit to being a cultural relativist and in my opinion, everything that comes out of it is just negative. Everyone should be entitled to their own say whether people agree or disagree with

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In regards of our religion, we should always have the freedom to express how we feel about whatever god we decide to worship. So, luckily that’s a freedom protected by Individual and Human Rights, simply because we are human. As for our equality, no one wants to be treated like a dog. Equality is the right that tells other people how they can and cannot treat others around them. Hence the golden rule: treat others how you want to be treated.

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Every society has its own unique cultures in which people will have different ideas of moral codes. The diversity of these cultures cannot be said to be correct or incorrect. Every society has independent standards of ethic within their society and these standards are culture-bound. Cultural Relativism has a perception in which rightness or wrongness of an action depends entirely within the bounds of the culture. This theory opposes the belief in the objectivity of moral truth.

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In other words, “right” or “wrong” are culture specific, what is considered moral in one society may be considered immoral in another, and, since no universal standard of morality that exist, no one has the right to judge another societies custom (Ess, 2009). Cultural Relativism is closely related to ethical relativism, which views truth as variable and not absolute. What makes up right and wrong is determined solely by individual or the society (Ess, 2009). Since the truth is not object, there can be no standards which applies to all cultures.

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(Luco, Week 3 Notes, p.9) Cultural Relativism is simply a combination of the following three theses: 1. The only criterion of moral truth or falsehood is the moral code of a cultural group. 2. A moral claim is true, relative to a culture’s moral code, if and only if the claim is generally accepted within that cultural

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