Analyzing Harry Gensler's 'Cultural Relativism'

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In “Cultural Relativism”, Harry Gensler criticizes Cultural Relativism and defends what he calls “the objective view” or in other words Moral Realism. To start off, what exactly is Culture Relativism and what does it claim? Cultural Relativism claims that the appropriate or correct way to behave or act is relative to a culture or society in which one stands. Gensler writes, “What is ‘good’ is what is ‘socially approved’ in a given culture” (“Cultural Relativism”, 44). Meaning that an act is only morally acceptable if it is allowed in the society in which it is performed, and is immoral if it's forbidden in the society in which it is performed. For instance, the norms that I was taught are the ones of my society and can be different in other societies. Which is why it can be said that morality is a cultural construct. …show more content…

According to Gensler, “some things are objectively right or wrong, independently of what anyone may think or feel” (“Cultural Relativism”, 46). Meaning that you can claim something to be objectively wrong and don’t have to worry about what someone else may think of feel about it. Let take police brutality for example. I can say police brutality is objectively wrong. It is a fact that police brutality is wrong, and any person or culture that approved of police brutality is mistaken. In this case, I am opposing the norms of my society, and disagree with accepted norms. I appealed to objective values by me appealing to a higher truth about right or wrong, one that didn’t depend on human thinking or feeling. Which is why the objective view or moral realism is based on moral

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