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Relativism

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Mores can themselves develop into new forms. ... There is no objective standard that can be used to judge one societal code better than another. ... – PowerPoint PPT presentation

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Title: Relativism


1
Relativism
2
Cultural Relativism William Graham Sumner
  • Account of the origin of the notions of true
    and right
  • Development of folkways from true and right.
  • Movement from folkways to mores.
  • Implications for morality

3
Origin of true and right
  • Truth is tied to the utility of a course of
    action
  • Instrumental Rationality
  • The term right applies to the evaluation or
    endorsement of a particular device or way of
    doing things.

4
Folkways as the right ways
  • Folkways gain acceptance (are deemed right)
    because of their instrumental rationality.
  • Righttraditions
  • Wrongtaboos
  • Traditions are not subject to verification by
    experience.

5
Examples of folkways
  • World philosophy
  • Life policy
  • Right
  • Rights
  • Morality

6
Ethnocentrism
  • Ethnocentrism the view that ones own group is
    the center of everything, and all others are
    scaled and rated with reference to it.
  • Each group believes its way of doing things, its
    folkways, are the only right ways of doing things.

7
From folkways to mores
  • Mores the development of the elements of truth
    and right into doctrines of welfare.
  • Mores are capable of producing inferences
  • Mores can themselves develop into new forms.
  • Mores tell us what ought to be the case, that is,
    mores often manifest themselves in the social
    codes of a society.

8
General Features of Cultural Relativism
  • Different societies have different moral codes.
  • There is no objective standard that can be used
    to judge one societal code better than another.
  • The moral code of our own society has no special
    status it is merely one among many.
  • There is no universal truth in ethics.
  • The moral code of a society determines what is
    right within that society.
  • It is mere arrogance for us to try to judge the
    conduct of other peoples.

9
Cultural Difference Argument
  • 1. Different cultures have different moral codes
    (C1 has code X, and C2 has code Y).
  • 2. Therefore, there is no objective truth in
    morality. Right and wrong are only matters of
    opinion.

10
Problems with the Cultural Difference Argument
  • It does not follow from the fact that individuals
    believe X, that X is in fact the case.
  • There may be objective truth in morality, even if
    individuals are not aware of it.

11
Consequences of Cultural Relativism
  • We could no longer say that the customs of other
    societies are morally inferior to our own.
  • We could decide all questions of right and wrong
    by appealing to current societal practices.
  • Problem of moral progress.

12
Are Cultures Really that Different?
  • Preservation of the young.
  • Rules prohibiting the arbitrary taking of a life.
  • Rules of discourse.

13
Judging Cultures
  • (Objective Standards)
  • How well do current practices meet the needs
    and/or values of a society.
  • Is the welfare of the individuals in a society
    better served by a different moral code.

14
Valuable Insights of Cultural Relativism
  • Different practices ? moral principles between
    cultures.
  • Moral criticisms vs. Aesthetic criticisms.
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