CULTURAL
Respect is encourage in a system of cultural
RELATIVISM
Cultural Relativism is the idea that a person’s beliefs,
values and and practices should be understood based
on the person’s own culture rather than be judged
against the criteria of another culture
Cultural Relativism is not judging a
culture to our own standards of what is right or wrong,
strange or normal. Instead, we should try to understand
cultural practices, values and beliefs of other groups in
its own cultural context.
Strengths and Weaknesses of Cultural
Relativism
1a. People change, Culture change, Humanity is
constantly evolving, developing, and adapting.
1b. When cultural relativism is implemented, then the
ability to evolve and adapt is encouraged because the
definitions of ethical and moral “right” and “wrong” can
change as people change. Cultural relativism eliminates
the rigidity that societies have in place regarding ethics,
conducts, and reasoning.
Providers of moral behavior in a culture:
▪ The Family, School, Church, Government and
Workplace are the basic social institutions that
play a role in shaping the moral behavior of the
members of society.
STRENGTH OF CULTURAL RELATIVISM
1. It is a system which promotes cooperation.
For the most part, humanity is strong because of the
differences we all have. Every individual has a different
perspective that is based on his upbringing, experiences
and personal thoughts. By embracing the differences we
have, the cooperation creates the potential for stronger
society.
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.
3. People can pursue a genuine interest.
In this modern society, people are funneled toward
certain career options because of their circumstances. If
you can’t afford to go to college, then you pursue a
technical-vocational career such as enrolling is a TESDA
course or some sort of entrepreneurship instead of a
career that requires a graduate degree.
In cultural relativism, you get to pursue your own
interests without restriction. We implemented
successfully, each person would focus on his strength
than weakness.
4.
relativism.
People come from different cultures. They have
different ideas. They pursue different definitions of
success, because such a system promotes the
individual’s definitions instead of a group.
A society can evolve because there is a natural level of
respect built into the process. Each person is naturally
given the right to pursue life through his own specific
perspective.
5. It preserves human cultures.
Humanity is a very diverse set of
thoughts, traditions, ideas and practices. Many times,
the traditions of humanity are set aside so that a group
set of standards can be appeased.
6. Cultural relativism creates a society without
judgment.
People are so trained to judge others in
today’s world that they don’t even give it a second
thought. Looking at someone and saying, “Glad that
isn’t me.” is a judgment. The only person that judges
you is yourself.
7. Moral relativism can be excluded from cultural
relativism.
Each culture can be treated as an
individual under the theory of cultural relativism. This
means that the moral codes of culture can be defined
and an expectation implemented so that people follow
it.
8. We can create personal moral codes based on
standards with ease.
To determine if a decision would be
“right” or “wrong” cultural relativism allows individuals
to consult with the standards of their society or culture.
It is a simple test to determine the course that a person
should take in such a circumstance.
9. It stops cultural conditioning
People tend to adapt their attitudes,
thoughts, and beliefs to the people they are with on a
regular basis. This is is a cultural conditioning and it
prevents people from having an individualistic
perspective.
WEAKNESS OF CULTURAL RELATIVISM
1. It creates a system that is fueled by personal
bias.
Every society has a certain natural bias
to it because of how humanity operates.
People tend to prefer to be with others who have
similar thoughts and feelings, so they segregate
themselves into neighborhoods, communities, and
social groups that share specific perspectives. When
people are given the power to define their own moral
code, then they will do so based on their own personal
bias.
2. It would create chaos
 People who can follow their own moral attributes of physical attractiveness and youthfulness.
code because there is no “wrong” or “right” would be Other attributes are subject to aesthetics.
allowed to pursue any life they preferred under the
Relativism concerning morals is known as moral
theory of cultural relativism. There is no real way to
relativism, a philosophical stance opposed to the
protect people in such a society, so each person
existence of universal moral values.
becomes responsible to protect himself.
The claim for universal values can be understood in
3. It is an idea that is based on the perfection of
two different ways.
humanity
1. It could be that something has a universal value when
Many people strive to do good every
everybody finds it valuable.
day. Most want to see everyone have the chance to
pursue happiness in some way. That is why the idea of 2. Universal value when all people have reason to
cultural relativism often seems to be inviting. believe it has value.
4. It could promote a lack of diversity 10 UNIVERSAL VALUES
Cultural relativism promotes as
▪ Shalom Schwartz (2014) proposed
individualistic point of view, although it seems to
promote diversity, it actually removes it from a society. 1. POWER - This is the social status and prestige, control
Cultural relativism would allow slavery to return again. or dominance over people resources
It would stop employers from paying someone a fair 2. Achievement
wage or even paying them a wage at all. The only
standards that are in place are those which are set by ▪ Personal success through demonstrating
the individual involved, which means everyone is
competence according to social standards
pursuing his own position of strength.
3. Hedonism
5. It draws people away from one another

Although cultural relativism can

promote people coming together to share their
strengths, it can also encourage people to draw apart
from one another.

6. It could limit moral progress

When we look at the idea of moral

progress, we think of becoming more inclusionary
instead of exclusionary. This inclusion is reflected in the
laws and customs of the culture

7. It could limit humanity’s progress

We often think of the concept of

cultural relativism as progression, but it is not
necessarily that way.

When you remove the ability to judge one standard

from another, then the comparative process of placing a
current society or culture against a past one is removed
as well. No definition of success can be implemented
because each is successful in its own way.

8. Cultural relativism can turn perceptions into truths.

Moral standards make sense in a

person’s culture. By creating individualized cultures, on
singular or larger scales, it does become easier to keep
and embrace the traditions that humanity has
developed over the millenia.

UNIVERSAL VALUES

A value is a universal value if it has the same

value or worth for all, or almost all, people. Spheres of
human value encompass morality, aesthetic preference,
human traits, human endeavor, and social order.

It is clear that certain values are found across a

great diversity of human cultures, such as primary