Theory & Practice of Cultural Relativism
Attempt: 18
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˛ This lesson corresponds to: The PrincipleThe Elements of Moral Philosophy, chapter 2 & The Right Thing To Do, chapter 3 "Right and wrong are only matters of opinion, and opinions vary from culture to culture." It important that we begin an analysis of a moral theory with a clear statement of the theory's chief moral principle. We will treat the moral principle as a hypothesis to be tested and evaluated for truth, similiar to the procedure for exploring the truth of principles and laws in the natural sciences. The moral theory of cultural relativism is very popular, not only for its convenience ("When in Rome, do as the Romans," the old saying goes), but also for the seemingly obvious support it enjoys from the sheer existence of diverse cultures with often conflicting moral belief-systems. If we were In the chemistry lab, we would now begin experiments that would attempt to disprove our hyposthesis, but in moral reasoning, beakers and Bunsen burners do us little good; however, sociology and anthropology can certainly tell us a lot about human life and practices—and one thing is for sure, people's opinions about right and wrong do vary from culture to culture. • So, what do you think—is the Moral Principle of Cultural Relativism true or false? |
