Notes on Cultural and Moral Relativism

Cultural relativism is an anthropological and sociological theory that claims that different societies have fundamentally different understandings of morality.  Some theorists criticize cultural relativism by saying that the seeming differences in values are superficial and mask the underlying similarities of moral codes.  This theory makes no claim about what is right or wrong.

Moral or ethical relativism is a moral theory that does make claims about what constitutes right action.  Most moral relativists claim that the values of each society are appropriate for that society.  Thus, right action consists in acting in conformance with the values of your own society while recognizing that it is morally right for the people in other societies to conform to the values of their societies.

The major arguments for moral relativism are as follows:
        1.  It is a theory grounded in the reality of people's lives and practices.
        2.  It is a theory that makes us tolerant of other cultures and less likely to try to impose our values
        on others.

Many philosophers argue against moral relativism.  The major arguments against moral relativism are as follows:
        1.  This theory is self-contradictory.  Since it affirms the rightness of all moral values, it has to affirm
        the rightness of those values that deny moral relativism.
        2.  This theory does not allow for moral change or improvement.  It is impossible to criticize any feature
        of one's society.

It is possible for someone to endorse cultural relativism and to reject moral relativism.

Christianity, Islam, and the ethical theories that we have studied (Utilitarianism and Kantianism) all make universal moral claims and oppose moral relativism.  They all say that there is only one correct morality.  Of course, these religions and philosophical theories disagree about what that one correct morality is.

Author: Hollace Graff
Oakton Community College
Updated: August 30, 2005