What is an example of cultural relativism?

Answer 1

If you are referring to Einsteins "Theory of Relativity" then a simple explanation would be someones position to some others position. An example is if you were standing somewhere along the ninety mile straight railway line near the Nullabor Plain in Australia, or any long road for that matter, then relative to your position the road or track would converge to a point. If however, someone was standing where the converging road or track took place they would be their normal width but they would see your end of the road or track converging.

As a passenger in a lift with glass sided walls, if the lift went down then the people outside the lift would appear to go up, to them, you would be going down.

A man in a railway carriage walks the twenty meter length of the carriage, while the train travels two hundred meters to a person standing outside of the train. Everything is relative to ones position. Have you ever sat in a stationary train and the train next to you moves out, have you not thought that it was you that was moving?

Answer 2

There are many examples of cultural relativism, and it is a highly controversial topic in the philosophical and religious world. One example would be if you were raised to believe that dogs were pets, yet in China, a dog is also food. Someone who believes in cultural relativism would not judge the dog-eating as "right" or "wrong," because there isn't a "right" or "wrong." They believe that each culture must be understood with neutrality.

Answer 3

The two philosophies are actually quite different.

Ethnocentrism: The belief that one ethnic group or nation (usually the one of the speaker) is superior to others and that its values and actions are superior. -- Example: The British believed when they were conquering their empire in Africa and Asia that their religion, political views, and understanding of the world were inherently superior to the peoples they conquered.

Cultural Relativism: The belief that the value systems of different cultures cannot be measured by the value systems of a different culture. -- Example: If one culture presses criminal charges against a rapist for committing a rape and another culture presses charges against the rape victim for allowing herself to be raped, these are both acceptable value systems that come from different cultures.

Answer 4

Ethical relativism is the idea that nothing is objectively right or wrong. In the workplace, an example would be ratting out a coworker for something to get your own position furthered.