Threat Of Relativism Essay

In our current time where diversity is highly valued and sought after by many institutions I believe that relativism poses the greatest challenge to ethics. I love diversity and being exposed to new and different cultures but I can’t help but notice that by actively praising the planet’s diversity we may be creating a kind of tolerance for some behaviors that are not moral because we wish to avoid creating a kind of culture war. We don’t want to appear intolerant so we tolerate everything. This poses a problem because some cultures may maintain their immoral practices simply because they don’t know any better. If we continue to tolerate those practices because we feel it’s not right to judge other cultures we perpetuate the cycle of their immorality.

This essay will examine the threat of relativism. Relativism is an attitude which states that every culture has its own definition of right and wrong and that people outside of that culture have no right to judge or interfere with the established practices no matter what they may be. Relativism implies that there is no universal standard for right and wrong. This is a threat because it allows its prescribers to stand idly by as moral atrocities are conducted within a society all the while maintaining a clear

We can praise and admire those who make fair and informed judgements. For those who avoid casting judgment based solely for the purpose of avoiding these socially unacceptable labels perhaps they need to be better informed and trained. Perhaps public opinion needs to be changed as well. I don’t feel I can’t offer a valid solution to changing public opinion because that is an issue much bigger than I can address at this time. I think public opinion often changes with the introduction of new generations who see flaws in the traditions and beliefs that are handed down to them by their parents and