moral relativism

(noun)

Refers to any of several philosophical positions concerned with the differences in moral judgments among different people and across different cultures.

Related Terms

  • ethnocentric
  • norms

Examples of moral relativism in the following topics:

  • Culture and Ethics

    • Culture reflects the moral values and ethical norms governing how people should behave and interact with others.
    • Culture reflects the moral and ethical beliefs and standards that speak to how people should behave and interact with others.
    • This approach is in contrast to universalism, which holds the position that moral values are the same for everyone.
    • Cultural relativism is also considered more tolerant than universalism because, if there is no basis for making moral judgments between cultures, then cultures have to be tolerant of each other.
    • Explain the role of culture in shaping moral and ethical behavior
  • Ethnocentrism and Cultural Relativism

    • Ethnocentrism, in contrast to cultural relativism, is the tendency to look at the world primarily from the perspective of one's own culture.
    • Cultural relativism can be difficult to maintain when we're confronted with cultures whose practices or beliefs conflict with our own.
    • This approach is known as "cultural relativism."
    • A key component of cultural relativism is the concept that nobody, not even researchers, comes from a neutral position.
    • Examine the concepts of ethnocentrism and cultural relativism in relation to your own and other cultures in society
  • Ethnocentrism & Cultural Relativism

    • Cultural relativism is the belief that the concepts and values of a culture cannot be fully translated into, or fully understood in, other languages; that a specific cultural artifact (e.g. a ritual) has to be understood in terms of the larger symbolic system of which it is a part.
    • An example of cultural relativism might include slang words from specific languages (and even from particular dialects within a language).
  • Kohlberg and Moral Development

  • Moral Leadership

    • Ethical or moral leadership demonstrates responsibility for doing what is right.
    • Moral leadership means making decisions that respect the rights and dignity of others.
    • Moral leadership is important for protecting an organization's reputation.
    • Moral leadership goes beyond doing what is legal.
    • In this way, moral leaders take responsibility for the moral climate in their organizations and help others understand, share, and act in accordance with those values.
  • Cultural Universals

    • The idea of cultural universals—that specific aspects of culture are common to all human cultures—runs contrary to cultural relativism.
    • Cultural relativism was, in part, a response to Western ethnocentrism.
  • Ethics Training

    • People use moral reasoning in an attempt to do the right thing.
    • Swaner, moral behavior has four components:
    • Moral motivation, which is "a personal commitment to moral action, accepting responsibility for the outcome."
    • Realizing good conduct, being an effective moral agent, and bringing values into one's work, all require skills in addition to a moral inclination.
    • Moral creativity: Moral creativity is closely related to moral imagination, but it centers on the ability to frame a situation in different ways.
  • Moral Development in Childhood

    • Moral development refers to changes in moral beliefs as a person grows older and gains maturity.
    • Moral development refers to changes in moral beliefs as a person grows older and gains maturity.
    • At the preconventional level, a child's sense of morality is externally controlled.
    • Stage 1: Punishment and Obedience - In this stage, children find it hard to distinguish between two separate moral points of view, especially in a moral dilemma.
    • At the postconventional or principled level, children can think of morals and values in an abstract way and begin to realize some moral dilemmas do not have a clear-cut, right or wrong answer.
  • Material Culture

    • The result is a belief in cultural relativism, which suggests that there are no 'better' or 'worse' cultures, just different cultures .
  • Cultural Evolution

    • The result is a belief in cultural relativism, which suggests that there are no "better" or "worse" cultures, just different cultures.
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