Cultural Releativism Pros and Cons

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Cultural Releativism Pros and Cons

Is there a line in the sand that says one way is right and one way is wrong? Not according to cultural relativism. Instead of looking at dictated belief systems, the emphasis of a person’s internal moral structure would become the emphasis of evaluation. “Good” or “Bad” become terms that only an individual can apply to themselves. There are some advantages to this perspective, as well as some disadvantages, so let’s take a look at the pros and cons of this subject right now.

What Are the Pros of Cultural Relativism?

It fosters a higher level of personal diversity. Because there is no personal judgment placed on another person, cultural relativism helps to form strong bonds through the differences that people have instead of demanding moral conformity. Forcing personal standards onto another person doesn’t work and this perspective eliminates that from happening.

There are greater opportunities for learning. At the core of the human condition is one fact: we can only do what we know. “Faking it to make it” can work sometimes in the short-term, but long-term success always comes from wisdom and knowledge. Cultural relativism opens up the opportunities for more wisdom because it is taken seriously instead of being per-judged as worthless.

It creates an environment where strength is a main point of emphasis. Instead of trying to lie and cheat to success, people practicing cultural relativism simply use their strengths to build their own moral code to achieve their own personal goals. People alongside them are doing the same thing. Each is using the strengths of the other and discarding the weaknesses.

What Are the Cons of Cultural Relativism?

There is no concept of a defined “good” or “bad.” If everyone can write their own moral code, then nothing gets taken off the table in the world of defined good or defined bad. Murder could be consider morally good under a specific person’s code of conduct and cultural relativism would not allow anyone else to judge that action as bad.

No one is 100% perfect. The concept of cultural relativism is based on the idea that people will ultimately choose what is right all of the time. This just doesn’t happen in reality. Many know smoking is bad for them, but they still do it anyway. What feels good trumps what is known to be good many times.

It eliminates one bias for another. Although the cultural moral bias is eliminated from the equation using this theory, it creates a personal bias that is based on self-interest. In essence, the theory tries to eliminate bias by creating a new bias.

Is cultural relativism something that should be practiced? There are some definite advantages to the idea. There are also some disadvantages that would need to be carefully tracked. By taking a look at the matter as a whole, we can each implement the parts of this theory that make sense for each of us so that instead of judging others or demanding compliance, we can work together in harmony.