Relativism

Let’s start our study of ethics with a closer look at relativism, which, as we’ve seen, maintains that ethical values are nothing more than matters of opinion, either personal or cultural.

By far the most popular form of relativism is called, in philosophical circles, “cultural relativism.” As an ethical theory, cultural relativism maintains that ethical judgments are simply expressions of a culture’s opinion or moral code; a culture’s moral code determines what’s morally right and wrong within that culture, and that there are no universal, cross-cultural ethical standards by which one culture can pass moral judgment upon another.

(The term “cultural relativism” can also describe a methodology in the social sciences. We can, if you wish, take a quick look at cultural relativism as a methodological stance, but that’s not what we’ll be talking about here.)

According to cultural relativism, ethics are analogous to game rules. If you’re playing poker and I’m playing backgammon then the rules of poker determine what plays are right for you and the rules of backgammon determine what plays are right for me. Although the rules for poker or backgammon may change over time, it doesn’t make much sense to say that they are wrong at any given time – they just are what they are – and it certainly doesn’t make sense for me to criticize your poker play according to the rules of backgammon. Similarly, if you and I inhabit different cultures, the ethical standards of your culture determine what’s right and wrong for you, and the ethical standards of my culture determine what is right and wrong for me. These standards might change a little over time, but it doesn’t make sense to say that they are wrong at any given time, and it certainly doesn’t make any sense for me to judge what you do according to the rules of my culture.

So, what do you think of cultural relativism? Think about what consequences it has, and whether or not you like those consequences. When you’re done, we’ll compare your thinking to a fairly standard evaluation of cultural relativism.