Arguments against cultural relativism. What are good arguments against cultural relativism? 2019-01-09

Cultural Relativism: 4 Arguments For & Against

Modeling decisions on societal mores and practices, rather than on the teaching of Scripture especially that of the New Testament , leads rather ironically to both laxity and legalism. So yes, our debates about morals are more clashing. The thermostat reads 450 0 F. Relativizing truth to standpoints is a way of answering in advance the objection that relativism implies that the same sentence can be both true and false. In responding to this criticism, moral relativists would seem to have three options.

What are good arguments against cultural relativism?

Cy Kellett: Yeah, Jesus will get you there. Where subjectivity comes into play is in the selection of the concept itself. Benedict, in fact, takes the argument a step further, arguing that the relativistic outlook she champions can be positively beneficial in helping to combat bigotry, racism, chauvinism and other forms of prejudice. Author Information Emrys Westacott Email: Alfred University U. Well, let's follow Gass' suggestions. What is thought right within one group may be utterly abhorrent to the members of another group, and vice versa.

Rachels

That is, if Jones believes Planet Y to be blue while Amy believes Planet Y to be red, we cannot say that one of them is correct while the other is not, so whereas this is disagreement regarding facts, it does not necessarily mean one or the other is wrong. If there is such a point in moral discourse then we have yet to encounter it after several millennia of debating moral problems. But these things could be explained by the fact that the 'preferences' at stake concerning moral disagreements often i have profound effects on our lives, ii are about issues that we are very strongly emotionally attached to, and iii don't allow both parties to enjoy their preferences without interfering with one another. Nor can moral relativism really claim to explain the diversity of moral systems, although this claim is sometimes made on its behalf. The above objection to Relativism is a matter of contending that an argument forrelativism is not successful. It is the denial of this possibility that gives moral relativism a more radical edge and is responsible for much of the criticism it attracts. But within the parameters imposed by the common human condition, significant variation in moral outlook is possible.

A Refutation of Moral Relativism [transcription] by Peter Kreeft

I'm not really sure what your described version of moral relativism turns on, but it certainly does seem more guarded than the naive version I criticized. That is a consequence not many moral relativists wish to accept. Then explorers began to bring back strange tales. Thus my response to moral relativism is this: it is unhelpful if it is attractive in theory, it is impracticable , it is contradictory, and it does not take our role as moral evaluators seriously. How could a group survive that did not value its young? But you presumably aren't prepared to take pre-philosophical plausibility as being worthwhile please, correct me if I'm wrong. It does not follow from the mere fact of disagreement about an issue that there is no objective truth regarding that issue.

Arguments For & Against Moral Relativism

We would not even be able to say that a society tolerant of Jews is better than the anti- Semitic society, for that would imply some sort of transcultural standard of comparison. This seems right to me, but I think that this pushes us more towards non-cognitivism than it does relativism. This is the idea that we should not make judgments about other cultures… My time in high school was a very cultural experience for me. The first country cannot be expected to remain passive while they are conquered and pillaged by their neighbors. If anything, I could maybe sketch an utilitarian argument as to why moral realism should be considered the default landscape: because it causes me less moral indignation. Cultural Relativism: Perspectives in Cultural Pluralism. The fact of diversity—if it is a fact, which some question see section 4a below —does not logically entail moral relativism.

What's the argument against moral relativism? : askphilosophy

What do you guys think about the objections to the arguments for relativism? The moral error theorist better matches your description of unknowable facts from earlier. Perhaps a precise definition of ethical relativism s could help here. I'm not arguing that, given their absolutist position, they would be expected to want something else. It is an attractive theory because it is based on a genuine insight that many of the practices and attitudes we think so natural are really only cultural products. In this case, the moral imperative is to kill the cow. Posts must be about philosophy proper, rather than only tangentially connected to philosophy.

Arguments Against Moral Relativism free essay sample

Moral relativists are thus under some pressure to explain why they go beyond simple factual statements about what the majority in a society believes, insisting on advancing a philosophical claim about the truth of moral statements. Communication would then be extremely difficult, if not impossible. That seems inconsistent, doesn't it? Nor could I make an argument that slavery is the right thing to do for those cultures that still practise it. There would be no awareness for anybody or anything so we would turn into selfish human beings. . And these basic moral presuppositions will not be susceptible to proof at all.

Essay on Evaluate Rachel's Arguments Against Cultural Relativism

All we do is plant seeds and God does the sowing. Meta-Ethical Relativism Meta-ethical relativism holds that moral judgments are not true or false in any absolute sense, but only relative to particular standpoints. This is more or less the position defended by Richard Rorty, even though he rejects the relativist label. It seems to me that you are attempting to adopt a morally nihilistic stance Attempting would mean I'm actively trying to. Hence, ethical relativism is preferable to ethical objectivism. This means that if I am a member of a society that believes that racial or sexist practices are morally permissible, then I must accept those practices as morally right.

The Conceptual Argument Against Moral Relativism : philosophy

At most, it is merely a condition that makes diversity more likely. All that the existence of widespread, honest and heartfelt disagreement tells us is that this shit is really hard to figure out. A second point that has been stressed is the presence of across different cultures. Nevertheless, if we took Cultural Relativism seriously, we would have to regard these social practices as also immune from criticism. This allows for an assessment that avoids judging according to an external standard.