![Page 1: Cultural Relativism · 2014. 10. 28. · 4 Cultural Differences: The Lesson to take Signs that something must be wrong 1. Comparison with science: Scientific Circumspection vs Scientific](https://reader035.vdocuments.us/reader035/viewer/2022071505/61255f6a01c19d7a8448653b/html5/thumbnails/1.jpg)
1
Cultural Relativism
![Page 2: Cultural Relativism · 2014. 10. 28. · 4 Cultural Differences: The Lesson to take Signs that something must be wrong 1. Comparison with science: Scientific Circumspection vs Scientific](https://reader035.vdocuments.us/reader035/viewer/2022071505/61255f6a01c19d7a8448653b/html5/thumbnails/2.jpg)
2
Outline
Introduction: Cultural differences: the lesson to take
The Cultural Difference Argument
Against Cultural Relativism
Lessons and Conclusion
![Page 3: Cultural Relativism · 2014. 10. 28. · 4 Cultural Differences: The Lesson to take Signs that something must be wrong 1. Comparison with science: Scientific Circumspection vs Scientific](https://reader035.vdocuments.us/reader035/viewer/2022071505/61255f6a01c19d7a8448653b/html5/thumbnails/3.jpg)
3
Cultural Differences: The Lesson to take
From cultural differences to cultural relativism?
An undeniable fact: Different values in different cultures
Two ways to take this fact into account:
1. Moral Circumspection – healthy especially for
Westerners
2. Cultural Relativism – there are no culture-
independent moral values
What’s
the
difference
?
Cultural Relativism is a view on Morality
![Page 4: Cultural Relativism · 2014. 10. 28. · 4 Cultural Differences: The Lesson to take Signs that something must be wrong 1. Comparison with science: Scientific Circumspection vs Scientific](https://reader035.vdocuments.us/reader035/viewer/2022071505/61255f6a01c19d7a8448653b/html5/thumbnails/4.jpg)
4
Cultural Differences: The Lesson to take
Signs that something must be wrong
1. Comparison with science:
Scientific Circumspection vs Scientific Relativism
2. What if we take Cultural Relativism seriously?
- no way to criticize values from other societies
- no way to criticize values from our own society
- no way to talk about moral progress
Our aim for the class: Find a way to save tolerance
without falling into mere relativism.
![Page 5: Cultural Relativism · 2014. 10. 28. · 4 Cultural Differences: The Lesson to take Signs that something must be wrong 1. Comparison with science: Scientific Circumspection vs Scientific](https://reader035.vdocuments.us/reader035/viewer/2022071505/61255f6a01c19d7a8448653b/html5/thumbnails/5.jpg)
5
Outline
Introduction: Cultural differences: the lesson to take
The Cultural Difference Argument
Against Cultural Relativism
Lessons and Conclusion
![Page 6: Cultural Relativism · 2014. 10. 28. · 4 Cultural Differences: The Lesson to take Signs that something must be wrong 1. Comparison with science: Scientific Circumspection vs Scientific](https://reader035.vdocuments.us/reader035/viewer/2022071505/61255f6a01c19d7a8448653b/html5/thumbnails/6.jpg)
6
Outline
Introduction: Cultural differences: the lesson to take
The Cultural Difference Argument
Against Cultural Relativism
Lessons and Conclusion
![Page 7: Cultural Relativism · 2014. 10. 28. · 4 Cultural Differences: The Lesson to take Signs that something must be wrong 1. Comparison with science: Scientific Circumspection vs Scientific](https://reader035.vdocuments.us/reader035/viewer/2022071505/61255f6a01c19d7a8448653b/html5/thumbnails/7.jpg)
7
Cultural Relativism:
The Cultural Difference Argument
The Cultural Difference Argument:
P1. Different Cultures have different sets of moral
values
CC. Therefore, there exists no truth about morality
Why is the Cultural Difference Argument not valid?
Whether something is the case or not does not have
anything to do with what people believe about it
![Page 8: Cultural Relativism · 2014. 10. 28. · 4 Cultural Differences: The Lesson to take Signs that something must be wrong 1. Comparison with science: Scientific Circumspection vs Scientific](https://reader035.vdocuments.us/reader035/viewer/2022071505/61255f6a01c19d7a8448653b/html5/thumbnails/8.jpg)
8
Cultural Relativism:
The Cultural Difference Argument
The Cultural Difference Argument about the Earth:
P1. Different Cultures have different beliefs about
whether the Earth is round or flat
CC. Therefore, there exists no truth about whether the
Earth is flat or round
![Page 9: Cultural Relativism · 2014. 10. 28. · 4 Cultural Differences: The Lesson to take Signs that something must be wrong 1. Comparison with science: Scientific Circumspection vs Scientific](https://reader035.vdocuments.us/reader035/viewer/2022071505/61255f6a01c19d7a8448653b/html5/thumbnails/9.jpg)
9
Cultural Relativism:
The Cultural Difference Argument
The Cultural Difference Argument about God:
P1. Different Cultures have different beliefs about
whether or not there exists a God
CC. Therefore, there exists no truth about whether or
not there exists a God
![Page 10: Cultural Relativism · 2014. 10. 28. · 4 Cultural Differences: The Lesson to take Signs that something must be wrong 1. Comparison with science: Scientific Circumspection vs Scientific](https://reader035.vdocuments.us/reader035/viewer/2022071505/61255f6a01c19d7a8448653b/html5/thumbnails/10.jpg)
10
Cultural Relativism:
The Cultural Difference Argument
The Cultural Difference Argument about X:
P1. Different Cultures have different beliefs about
whether or not X is the case
CC. Therefore, there exists no truth about whether or
not X is the case
The Cultural Difference argument is not valid
![Page 11: Cultural Relativism · 2014. 10. 28. · 4 Cultural Differences: The Lesson to take Signs that something must be wrong 1. Comparison with science: Scientific Circumspection vs Scientific](https://reader035.vdocuments.us/reader035/viewer/2022071505/61255f6a01c19d7a8448653b/html5/thumbnails/11.jpg)
11
Outline
Introduction: Cultural differences: the lesson to take
The Cultural Difference Argument
Against Cultural Relativism
Lessons and Conclusion
![Page 12: Cultural Relativism · 2014. 10. 28. · 4 Cultural Differences: The Lesson to take Signs that something must be wrong 1. Comparison with science: Scientific Circumspection vs Scientific](https://reader035.vdocuments.us/reader035/viewer/2022071505/61255f6a01c19d7a8448653b/html5/thumbnails/12.jpg)
12
Against Cultural Relativism:
Cultural Agreement
Surface difference between customs, deep agreement
concerning values:
Grandma the cow
Dealing with the dead
Much more agreement than one might think
Cultural Relativism fails to account for such
agreement
![Page 13: Cultural Relativism · 2014. 10. 28. · 4 Cultural Differences: The Lesson to take Signs that something must be wrong 1. Comparison with science: Scientific Circumspection vs Scientific](https://reader035.vdocuments.us/reader035/viewer/2022071505/61255f6a01c19d7a8448653b/html5/thumbnails/13.jpg)
13
Against Cultural Relativism:
Cultural Agreement
A custom is often not a good indicators of deep values:
- The same value can be expressed through different
customs
Ex: Grandma the cow again!
- The same custom can be the expression of different
values
Ex: various vegetarians
One has to look deeper into cultural differences
![Page 14: Cultural Relativism · 2014. 10. 28. · 4 Cultural Differences: The Lesson to take Signs that something must be wrong 1. Comparison with science: Scientific Circumspection vs Scientific](https://reader035.vdocuments.us/reader035/viewer/2022071505/61255f6a01c19d7a8448653b/html5/thumbnails/14.jpg)
14
Against Cultural Relativism:
Cultural Agreement
Values that are the very conditions of possibility of a viable
society:
Truth telling
Prohibition of murder
There are some deep values that must be shared
by any society
![Page 15: Cultural Relativism · 2014. 10. 28. · 4 Cultural Differences: The Lesson to take Signs that something must be wrong 1. Comparison with science: Scientific Circumspection vs Scientific](https://reader035.vdocuments.us/reader035/viewer/2022071505/61255f6a01c19d7a8448653b/html5/thumbnails/15.jpg)
15
Outline
Introduction: Cultural differences: the lesson to take
The Cultural Difference Argument
Against Cultural Relativism
Lessons and Conclusion
![Page 16: Cultural Relativism · 2014. 10. 28. · 4 Cultural Differences: The Lesson to take Signs that something must be wrong 1. Comparison with science: Scientific Circumspection vs Scientific](https://reader035.vdocuments.us/reader035/viewer/2022071505/61255f6a01c19d7a8448653b/html5/thumbnails/16.jpg)
16
Lessons to Take From Cultural Differences
As a view on Morality, Cultural Relativism fails:
- the argument in its favor is invalid
- there is counter-evidence (cultural agreement)
The fact of Cultural Differences still calls for tolerance
Warning against self-centered dogmatism and
prejudices
![Page 17: Cultural Relativism · 2014. 10. 28. · 4 Cultural Differences: The Lesson to take Signs that something must be wrong 1. Comparison with science: Scientific Circumspection vs Scientific](https://reader035.vdocuments.us/reader035/viewer/2022071505/61255f6a01c19d7a8448653b/html5/thumbnails/17.jpg)
17
Lessons to Take From Cultural Differences
We CAN claim:
- That some values are better than others
- That some customs are wrong
BUT we CANNOT make such a claim JUST
BECAUSE such values correspond to the values
of our own society
- The “best” values may or may not be the values of
our own society
- In which society such or such value is accepted is
irrelevant to whether or not we take it as among
the “best” values.
![Page 18: Cultural Relativism · 2014. 10. 28. · 4 Cultural Differences: The Lesson to take Signs that something must be wrong 1. Comparison with science: Scientific Circumspection vs Scientific](https://reader035.vdocuments.us/reader035/viewer/2022071505/61255f6a01c19d7a8448653b/html5/thumbnails/18.jpg)
Essay 4
In your opinion, does cultural relativism
pose a threat for the ethical
management of the environment in
South Africa? Motivate your answer with
your own examples.