Chapter 2 Smart Book: The Challenge of Cultural RelativismAssignment

It is acceptable to criticize other cultures when a:

person is trying to see the world clearly, from a moral point of view

Ideas in Cultural Relativism that one cannot condemn the practices of one's own society and other societies and that progress is determined by matching existing ideals have led many people to:

reject Cultural Relativism

Cultural Relativism does people a service by reminding them that:

some of their customs are merely conventional

Europeans and their descendants in America have a shameful history of destroying native cultures in the name of Christianity and enlightenment, as a result of which:

some people refuse to criticize other cultures

Cultural Relativism holds that the norms of a culture reign supreme:

within the bounds of the culture itself Cultural Relativism holds that the norms of a culture reign supreme within the bounds of the culture itself. "When in Rome," the old saying goes, "do as the Romans do." Cultural relativists agree.

Many people have the misguided notion that condemning a practice of a society automatically indicates that they:

are expressing contempt for the society itself

According to the ______, different cultures have different moral codes. Therefore, there is no objective truth in morality. Right and wrong are only matters of opinion, and opinions vary from culture to culture.

Cultural Differences Argument

The Aslandians believe that killing lions is immoral, whereas the Genovians often hunt lions for sport. Therefore, killing lions is neither objectively right nor objectively wrong. It is merely a matter of opinion, which varies from culture to culture. This is an example of the:

Cultural Differences Argument

Which moral philosophical theory prevents people from condemning practices of their society, other societies, and past phases of these societies?

Cultural Relativism

Which theory says that there is no such thing as universal truth in ethics?

Cultural Relativism

Cultural Relativism helps people realize that their feelings:

are not necessarily perceptions of the truth

Why is there less disagreement than there seems to be between cultures that, according to Cultural Relativism, differ dramatically in their views of right and wrong?

Cultures could have different customs but the same underlying values.

Identify a claim of Cultural Relativism.

Different societies have different moral codes.

Which of the following statements is true about tolerance?

If one did not view some things as better than others, then one would have nothing to tolerate.

Identify a contribution of Cultural Relativism.

It warns people about the danger of assuming that their practices are based on some absolute rational standard.

Why is the Cultural Differences Argument, often used by cultural relativists, not sound?

Its conclusion does not follow from its premise.

Identify the consequences of taking the arguments of Cultural Relativism to be true.

One could no longer criticize the code of one's own society. One could no longer say that the customs of other societies are morally inferior to one's own.

Which of the following is a claim of Cultural Relativism?

The moral code of one's own society has no special status and is but one among many.

Cultural Relativism claims that other cultures should always be tolerated. Why is this an overstated claim?

The toleration of slavery, torture, and rape is a vice, not a virtue.

Which of the following is a view held by Cultural Relativism?

There are no culture-independent moral standards.

According to the tenets of Cultural Relativism, which of the following is true?

There are no moral truths that hold for all people at all times.

True or False: Two societies differ in values just because they differ in customs.

This is false. One cannot conclude that two societies differ in values just because they differ in customs. Many factors work together to produce the customs of a society.

The claim of Cultural Relativism that a society's moral code is merely one among many seems to imply that:

all moral codes are the same

Even though Cultural Relativism holds that the moral code of a society is closely tied to what the people in that society believe about morals, the code:

could be wrong

Judging a practice of a culture by finding out whether it promotes or hinders the welfare of the people affected by it is considered a

culture-independent

One of the claims of Cultural Relativism is that the moral code of a society:

determines what is right within that society

Since the time of Herodotus, enlightened observers have known that the conceptions of right and wrong:

differ from culture to culture

A recurring theme in the literature of social science is that:

different cultures have different moral codes

According to Cultural Relativism, no independent standard of right and wrong exists because:

every standard of right and wrong is culture-bound

Cultural Relativism claims that it is arrogant for people to judge other cultures and that:

people should always be tolerant of other cultures

Since the conclusion of the Cultural Differences Argument does not logically follow from its premise, in philosophical terminology, it is:

invalid

According to Cultural Relativism, what is the only way to improve a society?

making it better match its own ideals

Cultural Relativism helps people broaden their minds and realize that their feelings:

may be due to cultural conditioning and nothing more

There are some moral rules that all societies must embrace because those rules are:

necessary for society to exist

According to Cultural Relativism, to condemn a particular custom is:

not to condemn an entire culture

Cultural Relativism challenges people's belief in the:

objectivity and legitimacy of moral judgments

Judging a practice by the independent moral standard of whether the practice promotes or hinders the welfare of the people affected by it is beneficial because:

the standard may be used to assess the practices of any culture at any time

According to Cultural Relativism, when a person calls a custom of a different society "correct" or "incorrect," they are judging it by:

the standards of their own culture

One should not overestimate the extent to which cultures differ because:

there are some rules that all societies must embrace

One of the claims of Cultural Relativism is that:

there is no objective standard that can be used to judge one society's moral code as better than another's

Many people are reluctant to criticize other cultures because they feel that:

they should be tolerant of all cultures