Activity 14: Modern forms of Relativism and

Absolutism
Read current social issues from reliable online news sites. Analyse one issue by answering the
following questions in essay form.

1) What ethical position is this issue related to (Relativism or Absolutism)? And how? (in 5 to 8
sentences only)

relativism refers to not judging a culture to our own standards of what is right or wrong,
strange or normal. For example, instead of thinking, “Fried crickets are disgusting! ” one
should instead ask, “Why do some cultures eat fried insects?”. In the Philippines, although
generally, we speak of a Filipino culture brought about by a greater degree of uniformity
throughout the country but yet, there are still sub-cultural differences that certainly affect
the meaning of the behavior.

2) What do you think is the "middle ground" response to this issue? (in 5 to 8 sentences only)

The central message of cultural relativism is that in every society, certain behaviors or norms
that may not conform with our own are considered right because they function properly in
that setting and, therefore, are compatible with the culture of that people. In other words, in
such a setting, the various components or elements of culture are able to respond to the
needs, interests and aspirations of the people who possess that culture