Cultural relativism
Cultural relativism is the claim that an individual's beliefs and activities should be understood by others in terms of that individual's own culture. It is a common claim in Boasian anthropology. It is sometimes argued to not imply moral relativism, but this is a contested and debated issue.
Definition
Cultural relativism, in anthropological and philosophical discourse, posits that moral norms, values, and practices are inherently tied to specific cultural contexts, such that judgments of rightness or wrongness are valid only relative to the standards of the particular culture in question, with no objective, transcultural criteria for adjudication. In contrast to universalism—which asserts the existence of principles or truths applicable across all cultures and individuals—cultural relativism denies such universality, emphasizing descriptive diversity in ethical systems and normative tolerance, though it risks justifying practices deemed egregious by external standards (e.g., human rights violations) and has been critiqued for potentially undermining cross-cultural moral critique or progress toward shared ethical norms.
See also
- Relativism
- American Anthropological Association: Human rights
- On the organization's ambivalent relationship to human rights, partly due to cultural relativist views.
