Cultural relativism

◈ It is a perspective that acknowledges and respects

the diversity of cultures and the idea that each
culture has its own set of values, beliefs, and
practices.
◈ It is the practice of assessing a culture by its own
standards rather than viewing it through the lens of
one’s own culture.

*Tolerance - does not imply that one must agree with or

adopt the beliefs and practices of other cultures, but
rather it encourages an open-minded and non-judgmental
attitude.
Ethnocentrism

◈ The word ethnocentrism is derived from the Greek

word eqnoç (ethnos), meaning “nation” or
“people”, and from the English word center.
◈ Ethnocentrism, as sociologist William Graham
Sumner (1906) described the term, involves a
belief or attitude that one’s own culture is
better than all others. Almost everyone is a
little bit ethnocentric.
◈ Ethnocentrism is the view that a particular ethnic group’s
system of beliefs and values is morally superior to all
others (www.allaboutphilosophy.org)
Culture Shock

◈ Ethnocentrism can be so strong that when

confronted with all of the differences of a new
culture, one may experience disorientation and
frustration. In sociology, we call this culture
shock.

◈ Culture shock is often associated with traveling

abroad, although it can happen in one’s own
country, state, or even hometown. Anthropologist
Kalervo Oberg (1960) is credited with first
coining the term “culture shock.”
Xenocentrism

Sometimes when people attempt to rectify feelings of

ethnocentrism and develop cultural relativism, they swing too far
to the other end of the spectrum.

Xenocentrism is the opposite of ethnocentrism, and refers to the

belief that another culture is superior to one’s own. (The Greek
root word xeno, pronounced “ZEE-no,” means “stranger” or
“foreign guest.”) An exchange student who goes home after a
semester abroad or a sociologist who returns from the field may
find it difficult to associate with the values of their own
culture after having experienced what they deem a more upright or
nobler way of living.
Theocentrism

v The word is derived from the Greek word Theos, meaning

“God” or “gods”, and the English word center. It is
the view that God’s system of beliefs and values is
morally superior to all others. The followers of
theocentrism believe that God’s law is the absolute
standard by which we are to judge everyone else’s
s y s t e m o f b e l i e f s a n d v a l u e s
(www.allaboutphilosophy.org).
 HIERARCHY OF VALUES

(MAX SCHELER)

Hierarchy of values simply refers to the

arrangement or ranking of values based on their
perceived importance, significance, or worth. It
suggests that not all values are equal and that some
values hold a higher or lower position relative to
others.
Hierarchy of Values (Max Scheler) p. 36

1. Pleasure Values

The first level or level is the values related to the good-

bad values. This value is of course the lowest among the
other values. The reason Scheler puts this value at the
lowest is because these values are still closely related to
mere pleasure or sensory satisfaction.
Hierarchy of Values (Max Scheler) p. 36

2. Vital Values

The second level or level of values is the values related

to vital matters. Such values are of course important for
the life of a human being; and therefore, human beings
need to realize these vital values. These vital values
include health, courage, and many more. Thus, these
vital values are important in helping humans when they
live their lives.
Hierarchy of Values (Max Scheler) p. 36

3. Spiritual Values

The third level is values related to or related to spiritual

values. These spiritual values have three kinds, among
others: first are aesthetic values such as beauty and
ugliness; the second is the values of right-wrong and fair-
unfairness; the third is the values of pure knowledge,
which is like philosophy which means the beauty of
knowledge in itself. These three kinds are always found
in spiritual values.
Hierarchy of Values (Max Scheler) p. 36

4. Values of the Holy

Then, the fourth level or level which according to Scheler is the highest
is religious values. These religious values are of course different from
spiritual values, because they are still at a spiritual stage only.
Meanwhile, religious values, such as the value of holiness and
professional values are values that are at the highest level, and humans
are expected to be able to direct their every action towards the values
at this highest stage; namely religious value. The values contained at
this level are also related to "absolute objects" and have transcendental
properties that are applied, and their development is in the religious
field.
CONCLUSION:

The hierarchy of values that was triggered by Max

Scheler can help people today in striving for a valuable life. This
is based on Scheler's thinking which emphasizes that human
action is an effort to realize values. Therefore, this hierarchy of
values is very helpful for contemporary humans in showing
which values need to be pursued. This does not mean that the
lowest level of values does not need to be realized, but rather
emphasizes that it is not the lowest values that are the first
priority. According to Scheler's suggestion, the highest level of
values is religious values; therefore, it needs to be pursued well,
especially in the present era.