'The Elements Of Moral Philosophy' By James Rachels
In the book The Elements Of Moral Philosophy by James Rachels discuss the idea of Cultural Relativism. Cultural Relativism explores the concept that every culture has a different set of beliefs and morals. Cultural relativists believe that understanding that different cultures have different morals is the key to understanding one another, and believing otherwise is naive. The Rachels’ go one to discuss the five tenets that are highly emphasized by Cultural Relativists. They are looking to see if the idea of Cultural Relativism is convincing and ethical or not.
Different cultures have different moral codes is one of the most defining characteristics of Cultural Relativism. The Rachels state that there is no universal moral truth. Meaning a customs cannot be truly right or wrong because all cultures and their customs are different. If we were to say that a custom was correct or not, it wouldn’t be true in terms of Cultural Relativism due to us using our own culture to judge and that doesn’t take into consideration of other cultures. Realizing that different cultures have different moral codes is respectful and allows people to potentially take in a new way of life. It is interesting to think that cultures could eventually adapt to having an overarching moral truth, because of living in a more globalized world.
Building on the belief that different cultures have different moral codes, the moral code of a society determines what is right. This is also a key tenet of cultural
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