Relativism and Culture

Before delving on the next lesson kindly watch this video clip.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=518FR6SbY_k
Is truth relative? If it is, is cultural
difference part of the reasons why
truth is relative?
 CULTURE AND CULTURAL
RELATIVISM
LESSON 4
INTRODUCTION

The effects of culture are commonly observed

in how we deal with things and others. Culture
as where our attitudes are shaped plays a big
role in assessing whether these attitudes
(leading to something behavioral) are ethical or
not. On the other hand, Cultural relativism
generally, is the view that all cultures are in one
way or another unique and justifiable. However,
it is an important task to determine whether
this view on culture could be universalized or
not.
LESSON OBJECTIVES

 Explain how culture affects personal and

societal behavior.
 Link facets of personal behavior to culture
 Analyze the advantages and disadvantages of
culture.
CULTURE

 Culture causes a huge impact in the molding of our behavior.

 Tracing its origin plays an important role in understanding ourselves and others.
 Human beings have become what they are now because of culture.
CULTURE
 Culture is gradually inculcated in their system making them think, say and do things in
patterned and distinctive ways.
 This activity of inculcating is primarily and typically done by the core family; and
secondarily by other environmental systems like the church, school, peer group, mass
media and the like.
 Personality is one product of culture. It is the combination of characteristics or
qualities that form an individual’s distinctive character (Oxford English Dictionary
11th Edition).
 It is a system of enduring, inner characteristics of individuals that contributes to
consistency in their thoughts, feelings and behavior (Leary, 2005).
ACTIVITY 1:

Share the corresponding response asked in each

item. Item no.1 is done for you as an example.
 Cause of the Influence Specific Cultural Influence How the influences affect my behavior?
(short explanation)
*Family 1. Dividing the food fairly. Since I was a child both of my parents always do it so I
always witness it making me think that it is right.
2.

*Church 1.

2.

*School (teachers) 1.

2.

*Peer 1.

2.

*Mass Media (television, 1.

, radio, newspaper, magazines,The 2.

Internet)
ON CULTURAL RELATIVISM
 “Cultural Relativism says…that there is no such thing as universal truth in ethics;
there are only the various cultural codes, and nothing more….The following claims
have all been made by cultural relativists:
1. Different societies have different moral codes;
2. . The moral code of a society determines what is right within that society; that is, if
the moral code of a society says that a certain action is right, then that action is
right, at least within that society;
ON CULTURAL RELATIVISM
3. There is no objective standard that can be used to judge
one society’s code as better than another’s. There are no
moral truths that hold for all people at all times;

4. The moral code of our own society has no special status;

it is but one among many;

5. It is arrogant for us to judge other cultures. We should

always be tolerant of them” (Rachels, The Elements of
Moral Philosophy, 2003).
On the Greeks and the Callatians

“Darius, a king of ancient Persia, was intrigued by the variety of cultures he met in his
travels. He had found, for example, that the Callatians, who lived in India, ate the bodies
of their dead fathers. The Greeks, of course, did not do that—the Greeks practiced
cremation and regarded the funeral pyre as the natural and fitting way to dispose of the
dead. Darius thought that a sophisticated outlook should appreciate the differences
between cultures. One day, to teach this lesson, he summoned some Greeks who
happened to be at his court and asked what it would take for them to eat the bodies of
their dead fathers.
They were shocked, as Darius knew they would be, and replied that no amount of
money could persuade them to do such a thing. Then Darius called in some Callatians
and, while the Greeks listened, asked them what it would take for them to burn their
dead fathers’ bodies. The Callatians were horrified and told Darius not to speak of such
things” (Rachels,The Elements of Moral Philosophy, 2003).
Whether or not Grandma is a cow

“Consider a culture in which people believe it is wrong to

eat cows. This may even be a poor culture, in which there
is not enough food; still, the cows are not to be touched.
Such a society would appear to have values very different
from our own. But does it? We have not yet asked why
these people won’t eat cows. Suppose they believe that
after death the souls of humans inhabit the bodies of
animals, especially cows, so that a cow may be someone’s
grandmother. Shall we say that their values differ from
ours? No; the difference lies elsewhere. The difference is in
our belief systems, not in our value systems. We agree that
we shouldn’t eat Grandma; we disagree about whether the
cow could be Grandma” (Rachels, 2003).
ACTIVITY 2

Identify if there is a difference and a similarity between the Greeks and the
Callatians in relation to their cultural practice and explain briefly in not
more than 3 sentences the factors causing the difference.
REFERENCES
RELATED READINGS/SOURCES:

Babor, Eddie. Bioethics. C & E Publication, Quezon City, 2010.

Glenn, Paul. Ethics, National Bookstore, Quezon City, 1930.

Palma-Angeles, Antonette. "Cultural Drivers of Corruption in Business and Governance." In Business Ethics in Asia: Issues and Cases, edited by Oscar G.
Bulaong Jr., Ike Danita Dewi, and J. Sedfrey Santiago, Quezon City, PH: Ateneo de Manila University Press, 2014.

Martin, Mike. Everyday Morality, Wadsworth Thomson Learning Inc., Canada, 2001.

Que, Nemesio S., S.J, "Notes on Moral Deliberation." Introduction to course notes for PH104: Foundations of Moral Value. Ateneo de Manila University

Rachels, James .The Elements of Moral Philosophy. 4th ed. New York: McGraw-Hill College, 2004

Rae, Scott, "A Model for Moral Decision Making" Chapter 1, Beyond Integrity.

Reyes, Ramon Castillo. "Relation between Ethics and Religious Belief." In Moral Dimension: Essays in Honor of Ramon Castillo Reyes, edited by Nemesio S.
Que, S.J., Oscar G. Bulaong Jr., and Michael Ner E. Mariano, 107-12. Quezon City, PH: Office of Research

Werhane, Patricia H. Moral Imagination and Management Decision Making. New York: Oxford University Press, 1999.