Ethical Relativism

In this essay I will argue against ethical relativism for the following reasons. Ethical relativism also called cultural relativism says that moral rights and wrongs are independent to the society's cultures in which they exist. Since this involves all aspects of the moral culture of a society, I disagree with ethical relativism because depending on the severity of the circumstances, the different cultures can be viewed as right or wrong from the perspective of any other society especially if it is harmful to the members of that society. Another reason to argue against ethical relativism is the idea that because an action committed by a society is intended for the well-being of that society, it is considered an acceptable action. In the same manner as my first reasoning, this is not acceptable if it causes harm to others.

The first reason I argue against ethical relativism is the view that the moral rights and wrongs of a society depends on the cultural views of an individual society and cannot be judged by any other society as well as their own. This acceptance allows for actions that are potentially harmful to others. For example, if a particular culture allows for abuse of a woman merely because the female gender is viewed as having a status that is inferior to that of the men in the society, this cannot be acceptable because it is harmful to the livelihood of that woman as well as to all women who live in that culture. My argument is not just about equal rights of a woman but is about the well-being and safety for the lives of these women. Another example to support this argument is the society that accepts anti-Semitic views. It cannot not be morally acceptable regardless of culture if their actions cause harm to another person's life especially when they are killing people just because they are different look different and have different religious views. Differences between cultures and societies as well as differences within a culture and society can be accepted by all as long they preserve human life.

The second reason I argue against ethical relativism is that certain actions are accepted within cultures for the well-being of their society. The example for this argument is the infanticide committed by Eskimos. It is understandable why they commit this action when it is to protect the very foundation of their society. In the Eskimo culture, the lives of men carry more value as they are the primary hunters and provide the only food available for the community. Also, due to dangerous nature of hunting, the life expectancy of men is considerably shorter than women, thus more men are needed to serve the community. Due to the environment in which the Eskimo's reside, women are not as valued because they do not have the opportunities to contribute to the community in the same manner therefore by not eliminating the over population of females, the society would become imbalanced with their being