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Relativism

Relativism. Shrinking the scope of truth and objectivity to fit the boundaries of custom and culture. Relativisms. Descriptive relativism: The Callatians and the Greeks. How to dispose of ancestor remains. Jesus or Judas?

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Relativism

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  1. Relativism Shrinking the scope of truth and objectivity to fit the boundaries of custom and culture

  2. Relativisms • Descriptive relativism: The Callatians and the Greeks. How to dispose of ancestor remains. • Jesus or Judas? • Americans cheer the empathetic sage; the Sawi of New Guinea cheer the “master of treachery.” • Obedience to authoritative tradition or autonomy? • Kinky Eskimo customs

  3. Cultural Relativism • There is no independent standard of morality by which to judge the customs of other cultures. • The notion of right is in the folkways…. Whatever is, is right….the authority of the ancestral ghosts. PEACE CHILD

  4. Five Relativist Claims • Different societies have different moral claims • The moral code of a society determines what is right • There is no objective standard for judging cultural norms • Our society’s moral code has no special status • It is arrogant to judge other cultures, since moral beliefs are culturally determined, tolerance is a more appropriate attitude than condemnation.

  5. What’s wrong with relativism? • Diversity of moral belief is not sufficient to establish that no objective criteria for moral decision making exists. • Seems to imply that UN attempts to end human rights violations are misguided. • Seems to imply that we cannot critique Fox News and the Tea Party Patriots. • Seems to deny the reality of moral progress. • Seems to deny the value of moral reformers.

  6. Values common to all cultures FauziyaKassindja • Promoting human welfare seems to have many common elements across diverse cultures. • How moral beliefs can be based on empirically false claims. • Violations of human rights must be condemned. (Implies a standard)

  7. Universal Declaration on Human Rights • All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood. • Everyone has the right to life, liberty and security of person. • No one shall be held in slavery or servitude; slavery and the slave trade shall be prohibited in all their forms.

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