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Civilization: Absolute Or Relative?

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Definition
“Civilization is not something absolute but relative , our ideas and conceptions are true only as far as civilization goes”
Civilization-the society, culture, and way of life of a particular area.
Absolute- A fact/value/principle that can be indisputably be interpreted in no more than one way.
Relative –A fact/value/principle that can be interpreted with various meanings depending on a variable ( like religions , locality )
True – In this case an idea or conception which is in agreement with one particular culture.

Meaning of the Quote
• This quote is an axiom of the idea of “cultural relativism”.
• The first part of the quote clearly states that interpretation of culture differs according to the locality thus “Civilization is not something absolute but relative” .
• The second part substantiates and says that because ideas and beliefs are considered acceptable in the locality we reside in , it doesn’t make them acceptable to others thus “our ideas and conceptions are true only as far as civilization goes”
• Example-Female feticide may be an accepted idea within a particular community but from a general point of view it is totally unacceptable. This is an idea which reflects on conceptions of a community which is unacceptable to a developed world.Thus interpretation and acceptability of a culture differs based on locality/religion/social group etc.
Explanation of Cultural Relativism
• Cultural Relativism states that ideas and conceptions are true/false based on

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