When In Rome Do What the Romans Do
It is important to understand that the world has increasingly become culturally diverse and people have different customs, beliefs, and perspectives to everything. It therefore raises questions concerning diversity in ethical issues and how diversity can sort out such issues (Wilkens 29).Cultural relativism is the standard by which actions are measured in such an occurrence. One major question that can be asked is that just because cultures differ in what they consider right and wrong does not mean that one ethical thing is as good as the other. In such a situation, cognitive relativism would bridge the gap especially because cognitive relativism extends relativity to any type of claim.
Not just ethical statements that are true to relative culture only but all truths which are judged by cultural standards. Cognitive and cultural relativism are united by the belief that culture is the filter through which people can see the world. Another foundational aspect of ethical theory is the decision concerning what is ethically correct (Wilkens 33).Ethical systems differ concerning what standards are and how they are discovered. It is important to understand that accepted practices constitute of the moral obligations of the society. Moral standards will often exist but these are localized and vary from one society to the other. Relativists will argue that negative reaction will not originate from the knowledge of an absolute moral pleasure.
Cultural relativism aims to achieve a more peaceful and tolerant world. It argues that the first step towards the elimination of tolerance includes awareness concerning ethnocentricity. However as revealed ethnocentricity is unavoidable and it also recognizes differences but at the same time does not judge these differences (Wilkens 34).Cultural relativism however rejects the idea that systems can be compared to each other. Insights of cultural relativism are useful because they remind us concerning familiar aspects. At the same time, cultural relativism warns against the dangers of extremity. However, at the same time, cultural relativism is based on the aspects that there are no absolutes,
Though cultural relativists deny the existence of God, but they deny that they deny of knowing what the moral will of God for all people is.Another shortcoming of relativism is the fact that the scripture does not endorse the idea that what culture does is right even if it may consider such a practice to be right (Wilkens 37).It is important to consider that most moral principles vary and critics of relativism argue beyond the observation that some concepts are universal and argue that ethical principles are found in every culture. All these aspects leave relativists in a dilemma because it becomes difficult to claim that there is no absolute truth and at the same time claim that intolerance is wrong.
Cultural relativism will assume some universal standard of truth and this may become self-contradictory on many aspects. All knowledge is conditioned by the environment and the absolutist society has much ground for claiming truth as the absolutist does.Though change is inevitable various aspects of change seem to be different from ideals of the relativist point of view (Wilkens 40).Cultural relativists believe in change but they believe that there can be no moral reasons for change.However, if there is no morality in change then this may raise serious questions as well. It gives good insight into why ethical standards constantly change for each culture. It is therefore important to consider cultural relativism carefully since it has many aspects that raise controversy. Multiculturalism remains an adoptable aspect because it ensures that people adopt to different social situations. It brings about the belief that all cultures are equal, which would also cause controversy.