Relativism Paper

Philosophy 101

Natalie Collins

 
 There is great diversity between the customs, beliefs, values and morals of the

various cultures of the world. Each culture also is subject to different social norms; an

expected code of behavior. While some practices are considered completely normal to

one culture- they can be unfathomable to another.  These difference’s make it easy to

make judgment’s or see one society as inferior to the other, however many people are

hesitant to do so.  The idea of cultural relativism states that truth and moral values cannot

have a universal meaning; they are simply relative among each cultural code.   Although

this belief promotes tolerance, it leaves no leeway for improvements or progress since

there cannot be a fault in ones culture.  Although a flawless culture does not exist;

cultural relativism asserts there cannot be flaws within each cultures practice’s. In

understanding the concepts of cultural relativism, and social norms- one has to question

the purpose of these differences in culture, and whether the society benefits as a whole

from them. Its not necessary to agree with every aspect of a culture to have tolerance and

respect for it as a whole.

            The major problem of cultural relativism lies within the concept that there can be

no wrong within a culture. The essay “The Challenge of Cultural Relativism” by James

Rachels gives numerous examples of different cultural practices, as well as the reasoning

behind them.  He points out that we can conclude a cultural practice may be unjust, while

still respecting that culture and its differences. While exploring the controversy

surrounding “excision”, which is the widely practiced female circumcision throughout

cultures he states “We may ask where the practice promotes or hinders the welfare of the

people whose lives are affected by it… We may ask if there is an alternative set of social

arrangements that would do a better job of promoting their welfare.  If so, we may
conclude that the existing practice is deficient”.   This shows that we can see the faults in

a cultural practice without judging or condemning the culture itself. Since relativism

does not allow for this reasoning, there is no room for progress to be made.

            Rachel’s also shines light on how different cultural practices do not always

indicate a culture has completely different values.  He uses the example of infanticide;

the intentional killing of infants, which is common among Eskimo cultures. While the

idea of killing infants seems completely immoral; it is necessary for the family’s

survival.  The high rate of female infantcitide is due to their heavy dependance on male

hunters, as well as the high casualty rate of older males. Although it is a common

practice, Rachel’s point’s out that killing is always the last resort.  He explains “Many

factors work together to produce the customs of a society… We cannot conclude, then,

merely because customs differ, that there is a disagreement about values.  The difference

in customs may be attributable to some other aspects of social life.”  While infanticide is

not condoned in our culture, we do not have to make the choice knowing that it would not

be possible for the infant to survive with the given resources.  So while some cultural

practices can be seen as morally deficient, others should be evaluated according to the

circumstances that surround them.

            Along with different practices and customs, each culture has different social

norms dictating what behavior is expected as well as what behavior is unacceptable. 

While violating a social norm is often harmless, they are usually followed with no

question.  It’s hard to imagine how a society would function if individuals had no general

guidelines for how they should act.  Diogenes, a greek philosopher opened many peoples

eyes to what a life free of restrictions could be like. He believed that to be truly happy,
you had to live “simply”, uninfluenced by power figures and social conventions. “He

clamed that to fortune he could oppose courage, to convention nature to passion reason.”

In his eyes, the freedom you gained from being courageous outweighed any fortune you

could gain from living under those in power, following your natural instincts is more

fulfilling than always being in line with society’s conventions, and your passions can

always be overridden by your reasoning.   While some of his actions seem to be done for

mere shock value, and were often looked down upon- his bold standing and disregard for

others opinions gained him the respect of many. Diogenes gained a lot of attention and

recognition- but he had no interest in gaining power. “He would often insist loudly that

the gods have given to men the means of living easily, but this had been put out of sight

because we required honeyed cakes, unguents, the like.”  I agree with his assertion that

too much value is put on the materialistic things and values based upon our social

standing or amount of power do not bring true happiness. His actions were unfathomable

to those who lived alongside with him however he was “still loved by the Athenians.”

This proves that to be great, one does not have to follow all of societies conventions;

moreover you cannot help but envy the ones who live life completely freely.

            While social norms have changed since Diogenes time, they will always exist in

society. Following social norms just seems natural, they are incorporated in the ways we

live our lives.  While I think the most social norms keep a certain degree of order in

society, other’s are more restrictive, usually in cases of personal expression.  For

example, there is a difference in social norms when dealing with gender.  What is

acceptable male behavior is not always acceptable female behavior and vice versa.  While

males can flaunt their sexuality, a female who does the same would be more quickly
condemned as a slut.  This double standard applies both ways, as while females are

allowed, even expected to be emotional- a male who cries in public would often be

looked down upon for not displaying the proper male characteristics.  While these don’t

seem drastic, gender roles dictate our everyday behavior and can be oppressive to both

males and females.  Another example is our view of gay and lesbian couples.  While

nobody would think twice about seeing a heterosexual couple interact or kiss in public, it

goes against the “norms” to see two men openly kissing.  While many people are

accepting, others will see this behavior as distasteful, and this attitude is what leads

people to be scared to express who they are. Social norms need to exist for an orderly

society; however they should not change because of an individuals circumstances.

            In my opinion tolerance is the key.  We can be tolerant of all people, while not

agreeing with a certain aspect of their culture.  We can be tolerant of those who see things

from a different point of view, while still keeping our own beliefs.  We can understand

the importance in social norms and keep an understanding that not every single one needs

to be followed rigidly.  While there are many differences between cultures, there are even

more differences between individuals, and realizing, appreciating, and accepting these

differences can lead you to draw great conclusions about life in general. I think the idea

behind relativism is important to understand, but the concept itself has too many flaws in

its logic..  Every life that is led has different circumstances surrounding it, and in order to

have the best understanding of the world, we need to be able to understand the lives of

those who seem most different to us.