Truth Is Culturally Relative - 1639 Words

The quality of being true is related to something clear, without any uncertainty. This is perfectly summarized by the Greek word for truth is á ¼â‚¬ÃŽ »ÃŽ ®ÃŽ ¸ÃŽ µÃŽ ¹ÃŽ ± (alà ©theia), from the privative prefix á ¼â‚¬- (a-), meaning not, and -ÃŽ »ÃŽ ®ÃŽ ¸ÃŽ µ (-lethe), oblivion, which, as Martin Heidegger (2001) explained by analysing its etymology, refers to the state of not being hidden. Truth is a cross issue, that embraces everything related to humans, from the most ordinary aspect of daily life, to the most deep religious thought. The need to find what is true is part of the human nature, but as the German philosopher Edmund Husserl (1965) stated, that same nature, which gave us the need of knowledge, at the same time bound us to subjectivity, limiting our understanding to judgement and interpretation, thus, truth can only be obtained gradually, through a never ending task. This process of understanding finds its ancient roots in Greece, in the VII-VI century B.C., when ph ilosophy was born and the slow loss of universal certainties has started. The very first interest of philosophers was that to define the concept of Being, a wide notion that embraces objective and subjective features of reality. Throughout the philosophy of truth, objectivism and subjectivism lead to the development of the two major approaches to reality, Relativism and Universalism. One of the first interpretation of truth and knowledge was given by the sophists, and it finds its primary source in Protagoras fragment of allShow MoreRelatedMorality Essay565 Words   |  3 PagesMorality Is morality relative? Ruth Benedict and James Rachels have opposing views on this conroversial question. Benedict, a foremost American anthropologist who taught at Columbia University (Pojman 370) believes that morality is relative to ones culture and that ones behavior which is deemed moral or immoral is dependent upon cultural norms. Her argument is as such: 1. Different cultures have radically different moral codes 2. There are no objective moral principles i.e. allRead MoreCriticism Of Cultural Relativism1216 Words   |  5 PagesCultural relativism is the theory where there is no objective truth in morality, and moral truths are determined by different cultures. The primary argument used to justify cultural relativism is the cultural differences argument, which claims different cultures have different moral practices and beliefs, therefore, there is no objective truth in morality (Newton). After reading James Rachels The Challenge of Cultural Relativism, I find his criticisms to be persuasive because the argument made forRead More How Morality is Culturally Relative Essay example1468 Words   |  6 PagesHow Morality is Culturally Relative Abstract Within this world that we live in, there is an enormous amount of people. Each of these people belongs to different cultures and societies. Every society has traits and customs that make it unique. These societies follow different moral codes. This means that they will may have different answers to the moral questions asked by our own society. What I am trying to say is that every society has a different way of analyzing and dealing with lifes eventsRead MoreEthical Relativism Essays990 Words   |  4 Pagesindividual to act in a certain way depends on or is relative to the society to which he belongs†(Pojman, 24). Within the meaning of ethical relativism we can derive two theses; cultural relativism and the dependency thesis. Ethical relativism is a problematic theory because there are so many differences within cultures, and individual choices might not always be morally right choices. Because of this, what is culturally acceptable is not always morally right. Ethical Read MorePsychology Observation Aspects: Biases, Assumptions, and Interpretations833 Words   |  3 Pagesempty research findings of all meaning, depending on whether the researcher believes facts exist independent of perspective. Acceptance of universal Perspectivism, combined with triangulated comparison from several sources, can result in approximate truth. Body Kinds of Biases, Assumptions, And Interpretations That May Affect The Seemingly Objective Observation Of Events The biases, assumptions and interpretations that may affect the seemingly objective observation of events may well be too numerousRead MoreEthical Relativism Is A Problem For A Couple Reasons976 Words   |  4 PagesEthical Relativism is, â€Å"The theory that holds that morality is relative to the norms of one s culture.† Initially the answer to this question seems quite clear, however there is more then simply saying the bible is the inly source of moral code. That is all well and true but the differences in culture make this discussion a little more cloudy. Even though it is less clear cut, Christians cannot be ethical relativists. Even as society differs from culture to culture and different views are prevalentRead MoreMissions Should Be A Fundamental Priority1565 Words   |  7 PagesContextualization in missions should be a fundamental priority in missions but is often times viewed as a sometimes controversial, relative methodology instead. However, contextualization i s the framework by which the church’s role as the great missionary agent and participant in the Missio Dei of God by charge of what has been dubbed, The Great Commission and found in Matthew 28:18-20 â€Å"Jesus, undeterred, went right ahead and gave his charge: â€Å"God authorized and commanded me to commission you: GoRead MoreWhat Is The Kantian Idea Of Europe?1023 Words   |  5 PagesDutch and Kantian ideas? Why was peace so crucial at this point in history? What does this have to do with the idea of Europe? On what basis could peace be founded? Does Tully agree with Kant’s claims that his idea of Europe is â€Å"universal† and â€Å"culturally impartial†? Why or why not? What are Kant’s blind spots? Kant’s idea of â€Å"progress† is grounded in a â€Å"stages† or a â€Å"teleological† view of history. What is a teleological view of history? What are some problems with this view? What kinds of assumptionsRead Mo reRelativism Vs Realism953 Words   |  4 Pagesrejecting moral relativism in favor of moral realism? Moral Relativism is defined as the view that moral judgements are true and false only relative to some particular standpoint and no standpoint is uniquely privileged over all others. An interpretation of moral relativism is that it is an understanding that the ethical position of right or wrong is culturally centered and as a result subjected to a person’s individual opinion. Plato however spends a great deal of time arguing against moral relativismRead MoreCultural Relativism And The Nature Of Truth Essay1338 Words   |  6 PagesThe nature of truth can be defined as intangible in the sense that it can be objectively based or relatively based. Upon the subject of moralism, there are two classic positions: universalism or objectivism and cultural relativism. The idea of cultural relativism is often used to explain the differences in practices and ideologies between cultures . Cultural relativists emphasizes the element of relativity in relation to a person’s values in the sense that the truth is dependent on or a function of