Claims of cultural relativism Essay

I would like to move on to the truth of cultural relativism because it is important to note that cultural relativism would mean that we could no longer criticize other cultures (even if they promote something like antisemitism) because of "cultural differences". We would not be able to justify how other cultures are morally inferior to our own or criticize the moral code within our culture. This would prevent us from achieving any social progress or reform as it "would be wrong to make transcultural judgments" (page 20), and ultimately the very idea of moral progress would be called into question.
With that being said, Rachels invites us to consider other cases like the relaxed relationships between Inuit couples and the practice of infanticide to explain that while these may be disturbing to some cultures, it does not mean that it is wrong or that their society is functioning poorly. We are so accustomed to the way we live in our own societies that for many of us it would be incredibly difficult to imagine anyone living differently from us. However, one should understand that there are rules that all societies follow in order function for the good of the society as a whole as well as survive. Rachels explains that the only difference between them is in their belief systems, not their values. He adds that, "there is no measure of right and wrong other than the standards of one's society" (page 21), and I think this is an intriguing point. For many Americans, we hear all too often about other cultures who may practice infanticide or excision and we immediately resort to demonizing them entirely. It was just the other day in my history class when we discussed female genital mutilation in African countries and the majority of the class thought it was a barbaric practice and that something must be done to stop it I was one of them. I understand now that we cannot judge other cultures based on one or two "bad values" when we share the same values like truthfulness and caring for the young with the same cultures. Instead, we should consider and try to understand the reasons that a society has for its actions. It is only through tolerance and understanding that we can fairly judge a societies actions including any effects they might have on the "...welfare of the people whose lives are affected by it" (page 28).
In conclusion, I enjoyed reading Rachels' arguments about how cultural relativism should not be allowed to protect a culture from criticism as it can inadvertently hinder them, and in order to help push moral and ethical progress forward, we should look inward and outward while following the aforementioned welfare guideline. More importantly, by concentrating on the reasons for cultural practices rather than the focusing on the illogical opinion about the practice itself, we can create better understanding between cultures in order to promote tolerance and achieve moral and ethical progress as a global society.