Cultural Relativism Essay - 1398 Words

Cultural relativism, pioneered in 1906 by sociologist William Graham Sumner, introduces the idea that there is no universal code of ethics. In The Challenge of Cultural Relativism, written by James Rachels, Rachels explains and challenges the ideas presented by Sumner in cultural relativism. Rachels explains, Cultural relativism is the doctrine that all moral values derive entirely from individual cultural codes, and that there are no objective, independently correct moral values. In other words, there are no absolute truths about what is right and wrong because judgements of right and wrong are all relative to a given culture. Rachels starts by explaining how different cultures have different moral codes. For example, the Greeks†¦show more content†¦The arguments are as follows: Different societies have different moral codes. The moral code of a society determines what is right within that society; that is, if the moral code of a society says that a certain action is right, that that action is right, at least within that society. There is no objective standard that can be used to judge one society s codes better than another s. In other words, there is no universal truth in ethics; there are no moral truths that hold for all people at all times. The moral code of our own society has no special status; it is merely one among many. It is mere arrogance for us to try to judge the conduct of other peoples. We should adopt an attitude of tolerance toward the practices of other cultures. Rachels points out that these ideals may seem to be adequate at first glance, but may actually be contradictory of each other. Numbers two and five, for example, could contradict the other (Rachels 463). He also begins to talk about the form of argument that cultural relativists present. All arguments they present deal with appealing to our morality and tolerance, and the presentation of the argument does not actually follow the conclusion of the argument. He also points out that the conclusion may not necessarily be false, but it simply does not follow the premise presented initially. Overall, Rachels main problem with cultural relativism is that it does not have validShow MoreRelatedCultural Relativism Essay1702 Words   |  7 Pagessociety, cultural relativism is an acceptable theory to adhere to. A society is a collective group of people who are either figuratively or literally aggregated together. There are many societies, sub-societies, and communities that are overlapping. At the same time, every living individual in the world makes up an umbrella society or community that constructs the present-day society. In â€Å"The Challenge of Cultural Relativism,† James Rachels claims that there are consequences to accepting cultural relativismRead MoreMeta-Ethical Cultural Relativism Essay737 Words   |  3 PagesMeta-Ethical Cultural Relativism The thesis of meta-ethical cultural relativism is the philosophical viewpoint that there are no absolute moral truths, only truths relative to the cultural context in which they exist. From this it is therefore presumed that what one society considers to be morally right, another society may consider to be morally wrong, therefore, moral rights and wrongs are only relative to a particular society. Thus cultural relativism implies that what is good is whatRead MoreEssay on Ethnocentrism and Cultural Relativism667 Words   |  3 Pagescontrast ETHNOCENTRISM and CULTURAL RELATIVISM. Discuss how you have experienced OR witnessed both concepts in our American Society. Ethnocentrism is viewing your own culture as more superior than any other culture, that all other groups are measured in relation to one’s own. Ethnocentrism can lead to cultural misinterpretation and it often distorts communication between human beings. + while cultural relativism is the concept that the importance of a particular cultural idea varies from one societyRead More Ethnocentrism and Cultural Relativism Essay example506 Words   |  3 PagesEthnocentrism and Cultural Relativism Ethnocentrism and cultural relativism are two contrasting terms that are displayed by different people all over the world. Simply put, ethnocentrism is defined as â€Å"judging other groups from the perspective of one’s own cultural point of view.† Cultural relativism, on the other hand, is defined as â€Å"the view that all beliefs are equally valid and that truth itself is relative, depending on the situation, environment, and individual.† Each of these ideasRead MoreEvaluate †©Rachels †©Arguments †©Against †©Cultural†© Relativism Essay1682 Words   |  7 PagesPHIL1001 ESSAY Evaluate†©Rachels†©arguments†©against†©cultural†©relativism.†©Is†©he†©right†©to†©endorse†© objective†©moral†©realism? DINH NAM TRAN 308213904 Cultural relativism, as defined by the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy. â€Å"Is the thesis that a person’s culture strongly influences her modes of perception and thought† Most cultural relativists add to this definition saying that there is no standard of morality. This means that morality is relative to the particular society that one lives inRead MoreThe Fundamental Claim of Cultural Relativism Essay example1270 Words   |  6 PagesCultural relativism is an axiom to which some individuals use to govern if an act is morally wrong or right. It is considered a subspecies of the theory of moral relativism as it essentially follows the same path but just considers a more narrow approach. Putting Schafer-Landau’s Argument from disagreement into context for cultural relativism, looks to disprove the theory, however I will demonstrate how it is flawed. Schafer-Landau’s Argument from disagreement states: P1: If well informed, open mindedRead MoreSocial Contract Theory and Cultural Relativism Essay2184 Words   |  9 Pages Thomas Hobbes’s social contract theory is minimally related to that of cultural relativism. Both deal with human nature and the search for peace. But while cultural relativism is in some ways a noteworthy theory, the social contract theory is the only one of the two that could logically work in an active environment. Cultural relativism theorizes that the best way for different societies to function together at peace is for them to recognize that each culture must be allowed its own systemRead MoreEssay on The Cultural Differences Argument for Moral Relativism1299 Words   |  6 PagesRuth Villagra The Cultural Differences Argument for Moral Relativism. Moral Relativism is generally used to describe the differences among various cultures that influence their morality and ethics. According to James Rachels, because of moral relativism there typically is no right and wrong and briefly states : â€Å"Different cultures have different moral codes.† (Rachels, 18) Various cultures perceive right and wrong differently. What is considered right in one society could be considered wrongRead MoreCultural Relativism Essay1108 Words   |  5 PagesIs cultural relativism good for our society? Cultural relativism is a belief where there are no absolute moral views or beliefs can be apply to all cultures, which makes â€Å"right† and â€Å"wrong† different in every society; what is considered â€Å"right† in one society may be considered â€Å"wrong† in another. Since no universal standard of morality exists, no one has the right to judge another society’s customs. If this belief is held true, then every culture will have their own set of â€Å"rules† to live byRead MoreCultural Relativism Essay938 Words   |  4 PagesULTURAL RELATIVISM 2 Introduction This paper aims to address several ethical questions, especially regarding Cultural Relativism which typically outlines why values and morals in human communities are deemed appropriate. Further, the paper discusses how cultural relativism is used to justify bribes in Mexico and whether this is ethical or not. Each country may view bribery under different societal conditions and circumstances. In most cases, nations with different cultural backgrounds will posses

Handmaid Character Analysis - 1475 Words

Throughout most of Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale, Moira is a character who refuses to be beaten down and conform to the new society that Gilead had created. She is one of only characters that is referred to by her real name, and this is because Moira never really becomes a Handmaid like the others. In lieu of the passivity that the other Handmaid’s come to have, she fights back against the new system. Her resistance can be seen not only in her attitude while she is a Handmaid, but in her two attempts at escape as well. Moira’s refusal to conform to the society that the Republic of Gilead created represents the rebellious spirit of humanity, as well as how an oppressive society such as Gilead can break even the strongest of†¦show more content†¦This didn’t change even after stricter rules were in place, as when Moira was first brought to the gymnasium she wore a blue sweatshirt along with jeans, along with sporting a short haircu t (71). Once the Republic of Gilead was formed, the pressure to conform to society’s new rules was harshly enforced. However, this didn’t stop Moira from continuing to rebel in whatever ways that she was able. She was the polar opposite of what the majority of the Handmaids were like, as all of the other Handmaids that have been introduced were seen to be very reserved and many had even accepted their new role in life. These characteristics were the exact opposite of Moira’s, with her attempting to escape two times during her stint as a Handmaid. After Moira was caught during her first attempt at escape, she was tortured severely. This was done by using steel cables on both the feet and the hands, since these were seen as non-essential parts of a Handmaid (91). Although she was caught quickly in her first attempt at escape, the beatings that she endured only fueled her desire to find a way out of this oppressive society even more. Along with her attempts at escape , she fought against Gilead in a more subtle way, by showing true solidarity among her fellow Handmaids. Although the Republic of Gilead was supposed to be about fostering this solidarity among women, in reality it made all of the women suspicious of each otherShow MoreRelatedThe Handmaid s Tale, By Margaret Atwood1629 Words   |  7 Pages Atwood s novel, The Handmaid s Tale depicts a not too futuristic society of Gilead, a society that overthrows the U.S. Government and institutes a totalitarian regime that seems to persecute women specifically. Told from the main character s point of view, Offred, explains the Gilead regime and its patriarchal views on some women, known as the handmaids, to a purely procreational function. The story is set the present tense in Gilead but frequently shifts to flashbacks in her time at the RedRead MoreThe Handmaid s Tale By Margaret Atwood1733 Words   |  7 Pages The Handmaid’s Tale Analysis The Handmaid’s Tale is a dystopian novel written by Margaret Atwood in 1985. Dystopian novels often feature societal norms taken to dangerous extremes. Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale contains each and every feature of a typical dystopian novel, though she prefers to refer to it as social science-fiction. Ideological and social conditions taken to extremes enforced by authoritarian regimes, social trends isolated or exaggerated, and stability being secured through impossibleRead MoreThe Handmaid s Tale By Margaret Atwood1744 Words   |  7 PagesProcreation is a driving force that manifests itself differently within the numerous characters in Margaret Atwood’s novel The Handmaid’s tale. Social classes are structured on the basis of child rearing, and sexuality is used as a tool to control the lives of citizens living within Gileadean society. People of different classes experience different motivating forces in relation to the goal of procreation rat her than simply continuing the civilization. The whole class system is also based entirelyRead MoreThe Novel The Handmaid s Tale 1191 Words   |  5 Pagesmaking them â€Å"handmaids† in the name of religion to cure the infertility of the population. The double entendre diction which exists throughout the whole novel adds subliminal hints on the charactarisation of the characters, such as Offred, and to the story itself, such as the religious political system that governs Gilead, which is a double entendre in itself. These different plays on diction proves the oppression of our main character and proves how powerful language can be. The main character of thisRead MoreMargaret Atwood s The Handmaid s Tale931 Words   |  4 Pagesconcept of gender becoming a multi- layered shifting hypothesis to which society is adapting. Since the 19th-century, philosophers and theorists have continued to scrutinize gender beyond biological and social interpretation. Margaret Atwood s The Handmaid s Tale captures the limitations and social implications forced upon a set gender based on societal expectations. Gender is a social construct that limits the individual to the restrictions and traditions of a society, or if it’s an individuallyRead MoreCritical Analysis : The Handmaid s Tale 1129 Words   |  5 PagesLidiah Zipp College English Critical Analysis Don’t Let the Bastards Get You Complacent Philip Zimbardo, an American psychologist said, â€Å"Bullies may be the perpetrators of evil, but it is the evil of passivity of all those who know what is happening and never intervene that perpetuates such abuse,† (â€Å"Philip Zimbardo Quotes†). In Margaret Atwood’s dystopian novel, The Handmaid’s Tale, a pair Handmaid’s called Offred and Ofglen, and a wife named Serena Joy, clearly exhibit contrasting examples ofRead MoreThe Handmaids Tale Essay1732 Words   |  7 PagesBrenda Guillen Professor XXX Class November 8, 2017 Then vs. Now, the Realities of of Atwood’s ‘The Handmaid’s Tale’ in Modern Day America The novel quot;The Handmaid#39;s Talequot; written by Margaret Atwood in 1985 is a fictional novel about Gilead, a place ruled by male religious fundamentalists who rape women labeled as handmaids to bear children for infertile wives. The society encourages the enslavement of women to control their reproductive rights. While Atwood’s novel depicts a fictionalRead MoreThe Characters of Women in The Handmaids Tale and The Bell Jar1504 Words   |  7 Pagesher profession. We are for breeding purposes. There is supposed to be nothing entertaining about us, no room is to be permitted for the flowering of secret lusts. We are two-legged wombs, thats all: sacred vessels, ambulatory chalices (The Handmaids Tale, p. 176). and I used to think of my body as an instrument, of pleasure, or a means of transportation, or an implement for the accomplishment of my will...There were limits, but my body was nevertheless lithe, single, solid, one with meRead MoreLiterary Analysis of the Handmaids Tale1863 Words   |  8 Pagesthey must learn to suppress their emotions and feelings. In the Republic of Gilead, the main character Offred is a handmaid, which is a fertile woman who is assigned to be a surrogate mother for a woman that is no longer fertile, but is wealthy in society. This occupation was not Offred’s choice as it is seen as a responsibility for a fertile woman to reproduce for the sake of society. Through the character Offred, Atwood demonstrates that if one chooses their own life over society then they will beRead MoreGilead Literary Analysis1885 Words   |  8 Pagesdiscrimination. Similar, the language Gilead uses in the text is a technique of rhetoric to justify and persuade characters into following along with its oppressive ideologies. Atwood also uses language to highlight the oppression of women while exploring the consequences it has on their identity. In the society of Gilead, women are defined only by their gender roles, such as wife or handmaid. The women of Gilead are stripped of their individuality when forced to be renamed and divided into functions

Hume Essay Thesis Example For Students

Hume Essay Thesis David HumeKnowledge is gained only through experience, and experiences only exist in the mind as individual units of thought. This theory of knowledge belonged to David Hume, a Scottish philosopher. Hume was born on April 26, 1711, as his familys second son. His father died when he was an infant and left his mother to care for him, his older brother, and his sister. David Hume passed through ordinary classes with great success, and found an early love for literature. He lived on his familys estate, Ninewells, near Edinburgh. Throughout his life, literature consumed his thoughts, and his life is little more than his works. By the age of 40, David Hume had been employed twice and had failed at the family careers, business and law. Occasionally, he served on diplomatic missions in France and other countries. Humes major work, A Treatise of Human Nature, was not well understood when first published, and received much criticism. The first two volumes were published in 1739, and the third in 1740. Immanuel Kant and other philosophers did notice his work and began respecting Hume for his reasoning. Later, he republished the first and third volumes as An Enquiry concerning Human Understanding, and An Enquiry concerning the Principles of Morals in 1748 and 1751 respectively. The second volume was used as Part 2 of Four Dissertations in 1757. During his lifetime Humes reputation derived from the publication of his Political Discourses (1751) and six-volume History of England (1754-1762), (Langley 415). David Hume discovered he was literary celebrity when visiting France in 1763. He retired to Edinburgh in 1769 and lived a happy life. He passed away August 25, 1776 and left in his will that he only wanted his name and date on his gravestone, leaving it to posterity to add the rest, (Langley 415). Skepticism is the belief that people can not know the nature of things because perception reveals things not as they are, but as we experience them. In other words, knowledge is never known in truth, and humans should always question it. David Hume advanced skepticism to what he called mitigated skepticism. Mitigated skepticism was his approach to try to rid skepticism of the thoughts of human origin, and only include questions that people may begin to understand. Humes goal was to limit philosophical questioning to things which could be comprehended. Empiricism states that knowledge is based on experience, so everything that is known is learned through experience, but nothing is ever truly known. David Hume called lively and strong experiences, perceptions, and less lively events, beliefs or thoughts. Different words and concepts meant different things to different people due to the knowledge, or experiences they have. He believed, along with the fact that knowledge is only gained through experience, that a persons experiences are nothing more than the contents of his or her own consciousness. The knowledge of anything comes from the way it is perceived through the five senses. Hume began to distinguish between feelings and thoughts. Feelings are only impressions made upon the body, and thoughts arrive from impressions; for nothing can be thought that has not been experienced. The meaning of ideas is more important than their truth. Belief results from ideas and assumptions, which are recollected from previous knowledge. Humes analysis of causal relation is that everything that happens beyond what is available to memory rests on assumption. Let us examine two cases: I see lightning and hear thunder; I see a rabbit and then a fox. The question is why I am right in concluding that lightning causes thunder but wrong in believing that rabbits cause foxes. Experience, in both instances, reveals an A that is followed by B, and repeated experiences show that A is always followed by B. While the constant conjunction of A and B might eliminate the rabbit-fox hypothesis, it is of no help in explaining causality because there are all sorts of objects, such as tables and chairs, which are similarly conjoined but not supposed to be causally related. Thus experience reveals only that constant conjunction and priority are sufficient but not necessary conditions for establishing a causal connection. (Langley 417)David Hume was a great philosopher. He was well known for his works and respected by the people of his time. His philosophical reasonings were written down to explain the unknown, to the people who know nothing but what they ha ve experienced. Today philosophers read his material and highly regard his theory of knowledge. Empiricists and skeptics are still improving upon his thoughts. According to David Hume, there is no truth, but humans must continue to seek it by constantly improving upon one another. His theories can be used by ordinary people to improve upon themselves and their culture. .uf49e1f98397737c7f8da9ccd7ef82c45 , .uf49e1f98397737c7f8da9ccd7ef82c45 .postImageUrl , .uf49e1f98397737c7f8da9ccd7ef82c45 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .uf49e1f98397737c7f8da9ccd7ef82c45 , .uf49e1f98397737c7f8da9ccd7ef82c45:hover , .uf49e1f98397737c7f8da9ccd7ef82c45:visited , .uf49e1f98397737c7f8da9ccd7ef82c45:active { border:0!important; } .uf49e1f98397737c7f8da9ccd7ef82c45 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .uf49e1f98397737c7f8da9ccd7ef82c45 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .uf49e1f98397737c7f8da9ccd7ef82c45:active , .uf49e1f98397737c7f8da9ccd7ef82c45:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .uf49e1f98397737c7f8da9ccd7ef82c45 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .uf49e1f98397737c7f8da9ccd7ef82c45 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .uf49e1f98397737c7f8da9ccd7ef82c45 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .uf49e1f98397737c7f8da9ccd7ef82c45 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .uf49e1f98397737c7f8da9ccd7ef82c45:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .uf49e1f98397737c7f8da9ccd7ef82c45 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .uf49e1f98397737c7f8da9ccd7ef82c45 .uf49e1f98397737c7f8da9ccd7ef82c45-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .uf49e1f98397737c7f8da9ccd7ef82c45:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Artificial Intelligence EssayWorks CitedLangley, Raymond J. The McGraw-Hill Encyclopedia of World Biography. 1973.Hume. Vol. 5. New York, New York: McGraw Hill Book Company, 1973. 415-17. Mannoia, V. James. Building a Christian World View, God, Man, and Knowledge. 1986. Rationalism and Empiricism. Vol. 1. Phillipsburg, New Jersey: Presbyterian and Reformed Publishing Company, 1986. 268-71. The Philosophy of David Hume. 3 May 2000. http://www.angelfire.com/mi/markhelm/.