Argument Of Cultural Relativism

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Alyssa Murphy Ethics 11am Parkhurst 29 November 2017 Refuting Cultural Relativism According to John Chaffee, Cultural Relativism is ethical subjectivism on a societal level. This means that each culture holds their own standards of what is morally right or wrong and outside cultures should not judge them because they have their own beliefs. Cultural Relativists suggest that this is the best ethical standard to universalize and apply to how we live. However, in the pieces written by James Rachel and John Chafee, they repeatedly point out a problems with this standard and prove that it has multiple contradictions within itself to show that it is not a fit standard to live by and cannot be universalized. Going along with the same line of thinking as James Rachels and John Chaffee and others who also refute Cultural Relativism, in the sections below each argument will be stated and refuted. Understanding Cultural Relativism To start to refute the argument of Cultural Relativism, there must first be an understanding of what is being said. “This extraordinary diversity of ethical perspectives had led some people to conclude that moral values are nothing more than the mutual agreement of various groups of people and so are relative to each culture’s unique context” (Chaffee 440). In simpler terms, this means since there is no known “correct …show more content…

The form of an “ought” deriving from an “is” makes an argument instantly unsound and unfortunately, that is how Cultural Relativists have set up their arguments. Cultural a Relativists, take beliefs and turn them into facts and then they say that since there is a disagreement of beliefs, there should be no judgment. This is the first sign that The Cultural Differences argument is unsound. Beyond that, the argument is built on trying to make a universal law based on zero judgment and false

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