Cultural relativism

Cultural relativism

Cultural relativism refers to the aptitude of understanding one’s culture without making judgments regarding innumerable practices conducted by individuals of a diverse culture.  Moreover, cultural relativism depicts that moral code present in a particular culture aids in determining the methods which are right within the society. This denotes that if the ethical code of a specific culture asserts that a particular deed is right, then that act is precise in that culture.   This is depicted in that Callatians (a tribe of Indians) ate the bodies of their dead fathers since it was right following their moral codes. This is contrary to the Greeks who practiced cremation besides regarding the funeral pyre as the natural and suitable way of disposing of the dead as it was the right action according to their moral codes.

The distinct views of the cultural relativism in that it depends on whether a particular action complies with the moral codes of the society has led to the incidence of numerous problems that encompass; circumscribing the place of the women in society (Stewart, 2017).    This is visibly verified in western history whereby the moral codes of such communities inhibited women from owning property, voting, or even holding a political office as well as being under the absolute control of their husbands.

The act of determining whether the actions are right or wrong by consulting the standards of the society is among the significant problem allied to the view of cultural relativism. In this instance, one needs to ask whether the action is under the moral codes of society. This practice has led to the existence of arguments among individuals from diverse cultures, whereby some of the people from different communities eat dead people instead of disposing of them since it is right according to the moral codes.

References

Stewart, T. P. (2017). Cultural Relativism. Legal             Magazine.https://www.ebscohost.com/uploads/imported/thisTopic-dbTopic-1247.pdf