Concerning Cultural Relativism

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ehira

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This is my first post, so it will be a little long 😛 . I am a junior in college and decided it would be a good idea to get involved with this forum as I will be needing insight from you guys on certain topics discussed in my Philosophy class. I was reading in my University’s philosophy book “Elements of Moral Philosophy” that most cultural relativists say that what may be wrong for one society may be deemed acceptable by another, giving the example of an old race that deemed it culturally acceptable to eat their deceased fathers and how the Greeks considered that unacceptable, instead cremating their dead - which this other culture considered absolutely unacceptable. And another example citing the Eskimos and their practice of infanticide - they would kill their newborns without any social stigma whatsoever. The arguments cultural relativists present are (as quoted from my philosophy book):

"1. different societies have different moral codes.
  1. The moral code of a society determines what is right within that society; that is, if the moral code of a certain society says a certain action is right, then it is, at least in that society.
  2. There is no objective standard that can be used to judge one society’s code as better than another. There are no moral truths that hold for all people at all times.
  3. The moral code of our own society is but one among many.
  4. It is arrogant for us to judge other cultures. We should always be tolerant of them.
5(2). Therefore, [something like] infanticide is neither objectively right or objectively wrong. It is merely a matter of opinion, which varies from culture to culture."

I would like some Catholic insight on this matter. How would we go about arguing with someone with this mindset that there are indeed some moral truths which are unchangeable?
 
ehira said:
  1. The moral code of a society determines what is right within that society
  2. There are no moral truths that hold for all people at all times.
  3. It is arrogant for us to judge other cultures. We should always be tolerant of them.
Click to expand...
  1. This is not an argument; it is the very assumption at hand.
  2. This would include tolerance, then.
  3. This contradicts #3.
#2 on the following link relates to your question:
peterkreeft.com/audio/05_relativism/relativism_transcription.htm

Kreeft addresses this topic in his book ‘A Refutation of Moral Relativism.’ It is an easy read.

There are a number of ways to demonstrate the existence of moral absolutes, but they ultimately rest on the existence of God, which many are unwilling to accept.
 
TRUTH, TRUTH, TRUTH!
Catholicism is an apostolic faith, and it is indeed our task to bring God’s love and moral truths to other cultures. The world is just not ready for that. I was the only Christian (Catholic) in my Anthropology department - both undergrad and graduate. That was in the ‘80’s. I am still evolving in my understandings and ability to convey “why”. The truth is, no one will understand it without faith.
Here is a story from a missionary friend:
An anthropologist would study an Amazonian tribe in an area where missionaries were also working. He was very upset that the missionaries were “changing” the Indians’ religious belief. One year, he approached the Indians and asked why they were becoming Christian instead of staying true to their culture. (true story still).
They replied, “Every year we see you come visit us. And every year you bring new clothes, new food, new things - you bring better things, right?”
“Yes,” the anthropologist said.
“Well, we want to make ourselves better, too.”
wow.
It is our responsibility to bring Christianity to other cultures in a responsible way, so that we don’t destroy the cultural fabric. If it truly is God’s will, He will direct us, as long as we listen…
God bless you! They may question you, but don’t question yourself!👍
 
ByTheGraceofGod said:
TRUTH, TRUTH, TRUTH!
Catholicism is an apostolic faith, and it is indeed our task to bring God’s love and moral truths to other cultures. The world is just not ready for that. I was the only Christian (Catholic) in my Anthropology department - both undergrad and graduate. That was in the ‘80’s. I am still evolving in my understandings and ability to convey “why”. The truth is, no one will understand it without faith.
Here is a story from a missionary friend:
An anthropologist would study an Amazonian tribe in an area where missionaries were also working. He was very upset that the missionaries were “changing” the Indians’ religious belief. One year, he approached the Indians and asked why they were becoming Christian instead of staying true to their culture. (true story still).
They replied, “Every year we see you come visit us. And every year you bring new clothes, new food, new things - you bring better things, right?”
“Yes,” the anthropologist said.
“Well, we want to make ourselves better, too.”
wow.
It is our responsibility to bring Christianity to other cultures in a responsible way, so that we don’t destroy the cultural fabric. If it truly is God’s will, He will direct us, as long as we listen…
God bless you! They may question you, but don’t question yourself!👍
Click to expand...
👍
 
You can test the relativist assertions by taking them to the extreme. Were Nazi Germany’s killing of 6 million Jews morally acceptable if the majority of Germans decided it was right? Should the rest of the world have said “that’s OK because the German’s have come up with their own morality”. Or how about before the Nazis started killing Jews…they were only killing the mentally handicapped, like down syndrome persons and handicapped infants…ask your professor if that was morally OK, given his relativist position. A strict relativist can never have moral outrage…even in the face of atrocities like the holocaust…which is of course an absurd position.
 
If you think about it, cultural relativism when it comes to right and wrong does not make sense.

If culture A thinks infanticide is okay and culture B thinks infanticide is not okay, they can’t be both right. Cultural relativism makes morality a matter of opinion. You cannot build a functioning society with this type of thinking.
 
I think that there are some practices that are detrimental to a society eg. infanticide, genocide. If we try to get others to change those harmful customs we are not necessarily being intolerant because these practices are harmful to others (especially the innocent).
Another case would be FGM (female genital mutilation) practiced in some societies in the hopes of keeping young girls pure. We now know that it is harmful to young women and I see nothing wrong with educating these societies about the harm it does to women.

However, where I would draw the line at imposing my culture on another would be practices or customs that do not affect or endanger others, for example in food or dress. I remember listening to a missionary talk very proudly of his work with an east african group/tribe and one of the change he was most proud of was the fact that he got the women to cover up (not go topless). In his mind nakedness was a sin and it was necessary to teach this new group of people that. Now I am not so sure about that…In a case like this, the appropriateness of walking around topless is relative. Doing that in Boise, Idaho will surely cause you to end up locked up:D
 
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