Rachels on Cultural Relativism
Connections between Mill & relativism
Gertrude Himmelfarb argues that Mill, by
making truth dependent on falsity (false
ideas are useful for keeping true ones alive
and for finding good reasons for the true
ones), tends to make truth and falsity
equals.
She argues that this position lends
credence to the current relativist
temper.
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Rachels on Cultural Relativism
Another argument for a connection
between Mill’s ideas and the current
relativism is rooted in Mill’s individualism.
Extreme individualism fosters the view
that each person’s beliefs and values are
valid for him or her; there are no
objective beliefs and values. Each
person is his or her sovereign.
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Rachels on Cultural Relativism
What is relativism?
The main ideas
1. There is no over-arching system to
which one can appeal for determining
what is good or bad, true or false.
There are no external standards for
determining goodness & truth.
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Rachels on Cultural Relativism
2. All truth and value claims are
relative to either personal choice or
culture. Thus all standards for assessing
truth and goodness are internal to a
system or framework.
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Rachels on Cultural Relativism
Different types of relativism
Based on level or size
• 1. Individual - what is good & true &
beautiful is a matter of individual
choice
• 2. Cultural - what is good & true &
beautiful is defined by the rules &
practices of the culture
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Rachels on Cultural Relativism
Based on area of human ideas & activity
• 1. Cognitive
• 2. Moral
• 3. Aesthetic
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Rachels on Cultural Relativism
 James Rachels. “The Challenge of Cultural
Relativism.” In, The Elements of Moral Philosophy,
3rd ed. (NY: Random House, 1999): 20-36.
Different cultures have different moral
codes.
The story from Herodotus (Greek
historian, c.484 - c.425)
What follows from this?
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Rachels on Cultural Relativism
Some social scientists (e.g., William
Graham Sumner) argue that what follows is
that there are no universal truths in
ethics; all ethical norms are relative to
cultures.
Reconstruction of the argument
1. Different societies have different
moral codes
2. The moral code of any given society
has no special
moral status.
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Rachels on Cultural Relativism
3. There are no universal moral truths.
4. The moral code of each society
determines what is right or wrong for
that society.
5. The advantage of cultural, moral
relativism is that it promotes tolerance.
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Rachels on Cultural Relativism
Examination of this argument -- three
criticisms
1. The argument contains a non sequitor
The key premise & conclusion in the
argument are:
• (1) Different cultures have different
moral codes.
• (2) Therefore, there are no objective
truths in morality.
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Rachels on Cultural Relativism
Rachels: this move is fallacious.
It moves from what people believe to a
claim about what is really the case.
• Cf. Geocentrism or the phlogiston
theory
2. Tracing out the consequences of CR
• If CR is true, there is no justification
for criticizing practices such as
slavery or anti-semiticism or female
excision.
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Rachels on Cultural Relativism
• If CR is true, we can determine what
is good or evil simply by consulting the
prevailing standards of our society.
• If CR is true, the idea of moral
progress & moral reform is
nonsensical.
Notice that each of these criticisms
can be put into the form of a reductio ad
absurdum.
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Rachels on Cultural Relativism
3. The premise of CR can be challenged
Is it really the case that fundamental
values differ from culture to culture?
E.g., Eskimos & infanticide & treatment
of the elderly
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Rachels on Cultural Relativism
What about the claim that CR has the
advantage of promoting tolerance?
Rachels: One can criticize the moral
values of other cultures & still be
appreciative of many of their beliefs.
[Cultural relativists are often very
intolerant of those who claim that there
are some universal moral truths. Indeed,
cultural relativists often smugly content
with current moral values, & not open to
other values.]
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Rachels on Cultural Relativism
Despite its flaws, CR can teach us some
lessons.
1. The values of our culture tend to
look natural & rational to us.
2. Our awareness of # 1 can lead us to
be more open-minded
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