This document discusses cultural relativism and ethnocentrism. It provides examples of cultural differences in practices like marriage ages and eye contact. Cultural relativism is defined as the view that moral codes are relative to individual cultures and there are no universal ethical truths. Ethnocentrism is viewing one's own ethnic group as superior to others. The document discusses the cultural differences argument for moral relativism and consequences of accepting it, like being unable to say other cultures' customs are inferior. It provides a case study on female genital mutilation and whether it should be condemned or tolerated under cultural relativism. The document concludes by noting the tension between moral absolutes and individual cultural judgments.

1. Cultural Relativism & Ethnocentrism

2. In Bolivia, 14-year-old girls can legally get
married. In China, men have to wait until
they're 22.

3. In America, eye contact suggeststhat you are
paying attention and interested in what a
person has to say. Yet, in other cultures, eye
contact can be considered rude and achallenge
of authority.

4. What is cultural relativism?
is the view that all beliefs, customs, and ethics are
relative to the individual within his own social context.
“Different cultures have different moral
codes” often is used as a key to
understanding morality. Proponents
argue that there is not as universal truth
in ethics; there are only the various
cultural codes and nothing more. The
customs of different societies is all that
exist

5. W h a t a b o u t
eth n ocen tr ism ?

6. Ethnocentrism is quite
different than that o f
cultural relativism.

7. Ethnocentrism i s t h e
view t h a t o n e
par ticular ethnic
g r o u p i s s o m e h o w
su perior to all oth ers.
A commonidiom i s “ t u n n e l v i s i o n . ” I n t h i s
context,ethnocentrism i s t h e v i e w t h a t a
particularethnicgroup’ssystem o f b e l i e f s a n d
v a l u e s i s m o r a l l y s u p e r i o r t o a l l o t h e r s

8. Discrimination plays a direct role in
the ethnocentric belief.

9. During the exploration
period the discrimination
against blacks by whites
was a major controversial
issue.
InEngland many
believed that thedarker
a person isthe "dirtier
and impure" theyare.
Some people believed
that some races were not
even races. Instead they
were considered animals
and nothumans.

10. TheCultural Differences Argument
• Theory on the nature ofmorality
Argument from facts about differencesbetween
cultural outlooks to making conclusions about
the status of morality.
Ex.
1. Different cultures have different moralcodes
2. Therefore, there are no objective truth in
morality. Right and wrong are only mattersof
opinion, and opinions vary from culture to
culture.

11. Consequencesof Accepting Cultural
Relativism
1. We could no longer saythat custom ofother
societies are morally inferior toothers.
2. We could decide whether actions are right or
wrong just by consulting the standards of our
society.
3. Theidea of moral progress is calledinto
doubt

12. CaseStudy
1996, a17 year old girlfrom
TogoaWestAfrican country
arrived in the USandasked
for asylum to avoid“
excision”, apractice referred
to as“female circumcision”
or “femalegenital
mutilation”. Accordingto
the WHO,the practiceis
widespread in 26African
countries and 2 milliongirls
are excised eachyear.
Reaction in the New York
Times, encouraged the idea
that excision wasabarbaric
practice and should be
condemned.

13. Young girls often look forward to this because it
a acceptance into adulthood. It is an accepted
practice in manyvillages.
Consequencesof excision
painful, results in permanent loss of sexual
pleasure, hemorrhage, tetanus, septicemia,
death, chronic infections, hinder walking,
chronic pain
Apparent no social benefits, not amatterof
religious beliefs

14. Human Rights & CulturalRelativism
Female Genital
Mutilation posesa
significant health risk to
women. It canlead to
infection, death,
permanent psychological
damage, among other
complications. Women
subject to this practice
are being oppressed by
men seeking to reinforce
their dominance over
females

15. Isexcision, harmful or helpful?
Cultural Relativist would
conclude that excision has
been practiced for centuries
and we should not intervene
and change ancient ways

17. “The only absolute truth is change, and death is the only way to
stop change. Life is aseries of judgments on changing
situations, and no ideal, no belief fits every solution. Yet humans
need to believe in something beyond themselves. Perhaps all
intelligences do. If we do not act on higher motivations, then we
can justify any action, no matter how horrible, asnecessary for
our survival. We are endlessly caught between the need for high
moral absolutes—which will fail enough that any absolute can
be demonstrated asfalse—and our tendency for individual
judgments to degenerate into self-gratifying and unethical
narcissism. Trying to force absolutes on others results in death
and destruction, yet failing to act beyond one's self also leads to
death and destruction, generally alot sooner.”
L.E.Modesitt Jr.TheParafaith War