Considering ethical concerns within a culture is not of the same caliber as considering ethical concerns among cultures globally. Cultures are each diverse with rich history and customs of their own. This paper discusses cultural relativism by responding to four questions based on the topic. The ethical issues surrounding the process of paying traffic tickets in Mexico City and in the US are a focal point. What is cultural relativism, and how does the vision of ethics associated with it diverge from the traditional ethical theories? The ethics of cultural relativism are different than traditional ethical theories mainly because cultural relativism dismisses morality. Cultural relativism is named so because the ethics of different cultures …show more content…
154). Traditional ethics revolve around universal ideals such as perennial duties, duties to one’s self, and duties to others (Brusseau, 2012, p. 55-56). The divergence between the two comes from traditional ethics pertaining to the greater good of people globally, whereas cultural relativism does not judge one culture’s ways as better or worse than others. For cultural relativism, ethics within a culture is not problematic, but expanding the idea of what is ethical or not ethical becomes problematic when comparing many cultures. The Mexico City process of getting and paying off a traffic ticket is different from the process in other countries. What values and advantages can be associated with the process in Mexico City? How can it be justified in ethical terms? In ethical terms, the Mexico City process of paying off a traffic ticket is justified by cultural relativism since that action is the social consensus. The entire police department and the general public are aware of what is going on and consider it acceptable. Advantages of this bribery system are economic. People who would’ve paid traffic tickets get to keep their hard-earned money (less the ~$5 bribe) and stimulate the economy with it. Another …show more content…
How can it be justified in ethical terms? In the US, bribes to police officers or government workers is illegal. The social consensus is to abide by the law and pay the traffic ticket properly. The US process of paying traffic tickets is justified by traditional ethical theories like utilitarianism for example. The advantages of the US process is money from traffic violators funds not only government salaries but also government programs for and community programs for the public’s well-being. When a person violates a traffic law and is ticketed, they also accumulate points against their driving record. If enough points are accumulated, the person is reprimanded by either taking away their license for a period of time or some other action is carried out. This system helps to keep roads safe for other drivers. An officer handing out tickets and citizens paying them off legally works for the greater good of the people, a traditionally ethical point of view. How can the difference between the Mexico City process of getting and paying off a traffic ticket and the process in your country be converted into an argument in favor of the idea that cultural relativism is the right way to look at things? Does the argument convince
But why would intentionally ignoring corruption be the easier
People’s view of the world is based upon their personal experiences and not their culture. “Mira and I differ, however, in the ways in which we hope to interact with the country that we have chosen to live in.” (Two Ways To Belong In America by Bharati Mukherjee) The fact that even though Mira and Bharati were raised the same and they still had different beliefs and life paths to follow proves that culture doesn’t always affect future beliefs. The way you were raised doesn’t affect your cultural identity, views and future as much as experiences you go through.
Our moral beliefs indicate the kind of environment or culture we grew up in. Therefore, if we were born in Somalia, we would believe that it is morally right to go through female circumcision as a rite of passage. However, if we grew up in the western world, then we would not believe in female circumcision. We can therefore see the relativist 's argument of cultural relativism in this case, because if cultural relativism exists, then naturally, morality will also be relative. Additionally, to support his stance, the relativist will also argue that tolerance comes into play when it comes to cultural relativism.
In California there is also talks about driving without licenses; “LAPD officers were caught in the middle of a legal controversy over whether they were vested with the authority to impound vehicles driven by unlicensed drivers as required by the State Vehicle Code,or follow LAPD Special Order No. 7 that was pre-empted by uniform enforcement of the statewide impound regulations”(Goff). This shows that the Los Angeles Police Department is trying to have a change, but it shows that it might not happen. There was a story about a woman who got into a car crash and was going to get deported, “Felipa Leonor Valencia, the Mexican woman who was
Moral Relativism, should it be abandoned or not? This was the original question that came to my mind when starting off reading this excerpt. Mary Midgley, the author of this story, mentioned that now days we as people deny that we will ever be able to understand a culture that is not our own. That got me thinking and as I was thinking I found what she said to be relatively true. I feel as if society has shaped us as young adults to judge our culture as being the best and all other cultures as coming up second best.
Social Studies Spatial Inequality Dividing a Once Thriving Mexico City Introduction Mexico city has an inequality issue. The issue was caused by an unequal distribution of wealth. The standards of living within the city are very different. Spatial inequality in Mexico City has been going on for many years, and over time it has gotten worst. Now more than half of the city 's inhabitants live in Poverty.
In this prompt the argument that Morality exists is irrelevant, contrary to our thoughts and beliefs. Everyone follows a set of moral rules. Ethical relativists disagree with this belief because, they believe that morals are distinctive from each individual culture. These relativists as described are mixing up moral and cultural distinctions, or are simply not willing to completely understanding the cultures they are standing up for. There are two different types of relativism Ethical, and Cultural, that rely upon the argument of cultural differences, which have flaws that make the argument unsound.
Communication and cooperation with state and local law enforcement with federal officials are vital to combating the harmful effects of illegal immigration. State and local law enforcement act as a unit, strengthening the effectiveness of government migration agents in their jurisdictions. Notwithstanding the importance of state and local cooperation, some local ordinances and
This is because of moral relativism’s take on ethical dilemmas, and the view that there are a number of disagreements among people as to the nature of morality. An act can
Every society has its own unique cultures in which people will have different ideas of moral codes. The diversity of these cultures cannot be said to be correct or incorrect. Every society has independent standards of ethic within their society and these standards are culture-bound. Cultural Relativism has a perception in which rightness or wrongness of an action depends entirely within the bounds of the culture. This theory opposes the belief in the objectivity of moral truth.
Writers like Alasdair MacIntyre, Bernard Williams and Philippa Foot have abandoned “the project of rationally justifying a single norm of flourishing life for and to all human beings.” They deny that ethics can have trans-cultural norms
In other words, “right” or “wrong” are culture specific, what is considered moral in one society may be considered immoral in another, and, since no universal standard of morality that exist, no one has the right to judge another societies custom (Ess, 2009). Cultural Relativism is closely related to ethical relativism, which views truth as variable and not absolute. What makes up right and wrong is determined solely by individual or the society (Ess, 2009). Since the truth is not object, there can be no standards which applies to all cultures.
The Strength and Vulnerability of Different Moral Views Over centuries of fervent discussion in the moral world, there is still nothing like a consensus on a set of moral views. This essay attempts to outline and critically evaluate two moral views, namely ethical objectivism and cultural relativism. It is crucial to understand that both moral theories cannot be true at the same time as it results in contradictions, contributing to false beliefs. Additionally, it is essential that we discuss these issues with an open-mind so as to gain deeper insights from them. First and foremost, we will be looking at the prominent view of ethical objectivism.
Lien Nguyen November, 13 Professional Communication Professor Barrett Outline Persuasive speech Yearly Driving Tests Specific purpose: To convince my audience that yearly driving tests should be mandatory for the first five years after getting a license. Central idea: Yearly driving test must be mandatory for the first year because it will help to reduce the number of road accident.
The way our societies view other cultures and spread the perceptions regarding them is an unfair practice. It causes discrimination and judgment to foster in the mind of the coming generations and they in turn spread these views even more and thus strengthen those perceptions. While I viewed culture as a part of one’s identity or genetics, I feel like I was rather apathetic to reality. Pride is a fault common in all human beings. We simply refuse to admit our mistakes when proven wrong.