Cultural Relativism Essay

1104 Words3 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Compare and contrast Utilitarianism with Deontological Ethics

Deeper into Ethics Ethics is defined as a study that deals with what behavior is considered to be, good or bad. Ethics is about doing what is right for other people throughout society (Kraft). Ethical principles result from religions, philosophies, and cultural ideas. The world is changing and so is everything in it, judgments about what is ethically right and wrong are also changing. Ethical relativism is important within society, along with utilitarianism, deontology, virtue-based ethics, and ethical principles of healthcare. Ethical subdivision is a complex way of saying that an individual’s morals, personal views on what is right and wrong, are completely within that individual’s control. For example, I may feel that abortion is unlawful …show more content…

For example, it is within my culture to attend church on Sundays if I were to get marries my husband would have to accept my accomplished cultural, weather he did so by going with me or accepting my cultural values. Cultures very from many different thigs. The idea of cultural relativism is not to judge the action, but simply to understand is based on the culture which it occurs (Kraft). Although ethical subdivision and cultural relativism seem relatively the same there is indeed a difference. Cultural relativism speculates that the way an individual acts, behaves, and distinguishes between things is according to their cultures. Whereas, ethical subdivision emphasizes precisely on what each culture determines to be right or wrong (BCC). For example within the Belkin text particularly with Landon’s case there was a conflict between two doctors on whose decision …show more content…

Jose wanted the parents to take appropriate measures and have surgery for their son whereas Ian thought surgery was a waste of time and the parents should let this boy live. Morally both doctors were correct, they both had a decision on what was right in the situation and neither of them were wrong. Ian thought Jose was wrong he Jose thought Ian was wrong but that was because they each had different morals and were grew up with separate cultures that lead them to the conclusions each human thought was right. Nonetheless why do we as individuals take different perspectives on situations? For the most part, ethical subjectivists and cultural relativists are driven to their respective positions by their desire not to be ethical “know it alls” or cultural imperialists who mistake their particular moral views for the absolutely right moral views for everyone, everywhere (Tong p7). So that means individuals take these perspectives to test their norms against other people without having to be ethical. An objections of ethical subjectivism is there is no of proving that someone it morally right no matter how many facts given because someone else’s morals may contradict yours. An

Show More
Related

  • Catfish Ethics Case Study

    1561 Words  | 4 Pages

    Ethics is the study of morality. Morality is composed of the standards that an individual or group has about what is right or wrong and good or bad. Through ethics, you are able to reflect on one’s moral standards or moral stands of a group or society and asking whether they are reasonable. One must keep in mind ethical relativism when analyzing whether a situation is right or wrong. Ethical relativism says that moral right and wrong depend on the culture a person belongs to. Since societies differ in the moral standards there is no single correct set of moral standards everyone should follow. The three main schools of thought learned for ethics are utilitarianism, Kantian ethics, and ethics of care. Using these three schools of thoughts I will analyze an episode of Catfish.

    Read More

  • Quiz Show by Robert Redford

    1538 Words  | 4 Pages

    Ethics are the principles that shape individual lives in modern society. It is a subjective idea that seems to have a standard in society. Ethics and morals are the major factors that guide individuals to make right and wrong choices. Something that is morally right to one person might be the very opposite of what another person would view as right. There are many factors that can trigger a change in an individual’s view of morality.

    Read More

  • Cultural Relativism: Objective Right Or Wrong

    967 Words  | 2 Pages

    Cultural Relativism states that there is no objective right or wrong. Right or wrong are defined by your society’s moral code. I will provide reasons why we should not be cultural relativists. My reasons include; how it affects philosophy, the Cultural Differences Argument, examples of why it doesn’t work and societal needs.

    Read More

  • Argument Of Cultural Relativism

    1284 Words  | 3 Pages

    According to John Chaffee, Cultural Relativism is ethical subjectivism on a societal level. This means that each culture holds their own standards of what is morally right or wrong and outside cultures should not judge them because they have their own beliefs. Cultural Relativists suggest that this is the best ethical standard to universalize and apply to how we live. However, in the pieces written by James Rachel and John Chafee, they repeatedly point out a problems with this standard and prove that it has multiple contradictions within itself to show that it is not a fit standard to live by and cannot be universalized. Going along with the same line of thinking as James Rachels and John Chaffee and others who also refute Cultural Relativism, in the sections below each argument will be stated and refuted.

    Read More

  • The Fundamental Claim of Cultural Relativism

    1269 Words  | 3 Pages

    P2: Well informed, open minded people disagree with all ethical claims C: Therefore there are no objective moral truths. This is the fundamental claim of moral relativism. Cultural relativism is really an application of this statement as it acknowledges that individuals disagree about ethical claims, but aims to impose a ‘golden rule’ to determine whether an act is morally wrong or right.

    Read More

  • Difference Between Subjectivism And Cultural Relativism

    1252 Words  | 3 Pages

    The difference between Subjectivism and Cultural Relativism is that Subjectivism defines moral principles or rules as being rooted in a person’s feelings while Cultural Relativism defines moral principles or rules as being rooted in the beliefs of a particular culture. When speaking about Subjectivism, there are two forms to consider: Simple Subjectivism and Emotivism. Simple Subjectivism means that moral claims are claims of feeling. In other words, a moral claim of right or wrong reflects the individual’s approval or disapproval of a particular moral issue. For example, under the assumption of Simple Subjectivism, when someone says that abortion is morally wrong, they are actually saying that they disapprove of abortion. They are making a claim of feeling that can be true or false.

    Read More

  • William Penn's Theory Of Cultural Relativism

    707 Words  | 2 Pages

    Today there is quite a diversity of cultures. Diversity in the food, clothes, language, ethnicity, and beliefs. Do to sins the truth is not subjected; truth is absolute. So if we don’t hurt anyone, simply anything goes. As of today we live in a society of pluralism and tolerance. That cultural relativism is more than just a statement about equality of cultures but a theory of fundaments. Therefore Cultural relativism is experience of man knowing the world which judgments are derive. Judgment, holds, a reliant on experiences that are inseparable from its cultural context. Cultural context such as culture and language. There is no such thing as objective reality, truth, or

    Read More

  • Ethical Relativism and Cultural Relativism

    714 Words  | 2 Pages

    In explaining Cultural Relativism, it is useful to compare and contrast it with Ethical Relativism. Cultural Relativism is a theory about morality focused on the concept that matters of custom and ethics are not universal in nature but rather are culture specific. Each culture evolves its own unique moral code, separate and apart from any other. Ethical Relativism is also a theory of morality with a view of ethics similarly engaged in understanding how morality comes to be culturally defined. However, the formulation is quite different in that from a wide range of human habits, individual opinions drive the culture toward distinguishing normal “good” habits from abnormal “bad” habits. The takeaway is that both theories share the guiding principle that morality is bounded by culture or society.

    Read More

  • Analysis Of Cultural Relativism

    749 Words  | 2 Pages

    These are the questions cultural relativism answers. Cultural relativism consents to the idea that we are not the ones to judge other societies on their standards. Most importantly, morality differs in every society. What is morally right and what is morally wrong is simply subjective and determined by the society and culture within which we live. On the other side of the spectrum is dogmatism.

    Read More

  • Culture Relativism

    584 Words  | 2 Pages

    Culture Relativism is a contradictory theory for the explanation of the way we ought to live because the roots of the theory don’t give any explanation for what is right and wrong but instead only a means for right and wrong to be judged.

    Read More

  • The Role Of Morality In Black Mirror

    843 Words  | 2 Pages

    Moreover, cultures are simply a grouping of those individuals and their system of beliefs. It is evident that each culture is unique in their moral judgments. Philip Hugly and Charles Sayward provided the example of a native Indian and a native Nebraskan having a moral dispute about the killing of cattle for human consumption. In their essay, it was written “Since the judgments of the Indian and the Nebraskan both are in accord with their respective moralities, and each of those judgments is correct in the most fundamental sense of correctness applicable to moral judgments, they are both true,” and this exemplifies the moral relativist’s perspective. The Nebraskan was raised to believe that the killing of cattle is not immoral, due to their culture believing it to be moral. The native of India’s culture believed the act to be immoral, therefore the native was taught to believe the same. The fact that each of their cultures did not agree on the morality of killing cattle supports the concept of moral relativism, since each culture believed they were morally correct - but neither could prove they were. We can conclude from this example of moral diversity between cultures, amongst many others - that morals must be relative to cultures. If they were not, killing cattle would not be “wrong” in some cultures, but “right “ in others - and neither would things such as

    Read More

  • Essay On Cultural Relativism

    2426 Words  | 5 Pages

    Nearly all of mankind, at one point or another, spends a lot of time focusing on the question of how one can live a good human life. This question is approached in various ways and a variety of perspectives rise as a result. There are various ways to actually seek the necessary elements of a good human life. Some seek it through the reading of classic, contemporary, theological and philosophical texts while others seek it through experiences and lessons passed down from generations. As a result of this, beliefs on what is morally right and wrong, and if they have some impact on human flourishing, are quite debatable and subjective to ones own perspective. This makes determining morally significant practices or activities actually very difficult.

    Read More

  • Global Leadership: The Dilemmas Of Global Ethics And Leadership

    2301 Words  | 5 Pages

    Cultural relativist would disagree that we can have global ethics because not everyone can share the same values; instead they tolerate each other. The challenge of cultural relativism is that different cultures have different moral codes seems like the key to understanding morality. There are no universal moral truths, they say, the customs of different societies are all that exist. “Cultural relativist may think there is no such thing as universal truth in ethics; there are only the various culture codes, and nothing more. Cultural relativism challenges beliers in the objectify and university of moral truth. Cultural relativists believe that values are culturally dependent: in other words, that values like moral values are just the customs and norms of a particular society. A key argument often given to support the cultural-relativist argument is the argument from difference, established by J. L. Mackie (1977). Even with these challenges I still believe that we can agree that all humans have basic needs and to obtain them there are laws that can be established that everyone can agree

    Read More

  • Cultural Relativism Essay

    1273 Words  | 3 Pages

    Cultural Relativism is the view that all moral beliefs and ethical systems, are all equally valid. No one system is better than any other, no matter the variance from culture to culture. Further, Cultural Relativism follows that these beliefs and ethical systems should be understood by everyone else in the terms of their own individual culture. The Cultural Relativist believes there are no universal moral beliefs, and that there is no ultimate standard of good or evil. Instead, they believe each society has customs and beliefs that differ from each other and every judgement of right or wrong is a product of each society. This would mean a person could never judge another custom from a culture just because it is different. There is no standard

    Read More

  • Ethics in the Modern World

    1524 Words  | 4 Pages

    Ethics is a system of moral principles and a branch of philosophy which defines what is acceptable for both individuals and society. It is a philosophy that covers a whole range of things that have an importance in everyday situations. Ethics are vital in everyones lives, it includes human values, and how to have a good life, our rights and responsibilities, moral decisions what is right and wrong, good and bad. Moral principles affect how people make decisions and lead their lives (BBC, 2013). There are many different beliefs about were ethics come from. These consist of; God and Religion, human conscience, the example of good human beings and a huge desire for the best for people in each unique situation, and political power (BBC, 2013).

    Read More

More about Cultural Relativism Essay

Open Document