Abella, John Paul

BSMARE - M2D

MIDTERM ACTIVITY 1:
CULTURAL RELATIVISM

A. Identify one advantage and one disadvantage of cultural relativism and explain
each.(Limit your answers to 3-4 sentences only.)
● One advantage of cultural relativism is that it creates a society where equality
becomes possible because cultural relativism allows the individual to define their
moral code without defining the moral code of others. Each person is separate in
such a society and that separation creates equality because each person can set
their own definition of success. It also allows people to rise by climbing on top of
other people. While, its disadvantage is that it will create chaos because people who
can follow their own moral code because there is no "wrong" or "right" would be
allowed to pursue any life they prefer. If you're upset with your neighbor, then you can
kill that person without consequence if your moral code allows for murder.
B. List down 6 examples of cultural relativism which are bad in our society but good in
other society/country. ( Give your own examples.)
1. In India , before British rule , there was a custom called “suttee" . When a man died,
his wife was burned alive with her husband's body. Acceptable in their culture, not in
ours.
2. For the Filipino, one example would be debt of honor or “utang na loob”. For
example, when a judge says to a guilty friend he owes, “Hey you will get the lightest
sentence possible. I will talk to the judge with your case.”
3. Another example is the grant-me-this-favor or “pakisuyo”. “Sheila, as Human
Resources in that great company, can you get my son in? You know your mother and
I have been closest for years, right?.”In some countries, these behavior would not be
typical of their culture. But with Filipinos, these things are common, and makes it
questionable whether the deed is good or bad.
4. Here in the Philippines, we do not cease to debate on the moral acceptability of
contraceptives. In other country, abortion is perfectly normal, more so the use of
artificial contraceptives.
5. Here in the philippines, premarital sex is morally unacceptable. If go to another
country, teenagers want to lose their virginity at a young age.
6. One society make any prohibitions on women, while another society allows women to
have equal opportunities and obligations as men.