AS OCR Ethics- Cultural Relativism

Moral relativism: cultural relativism

Cultural relativism: this is the idea that ideas on how to act, behave and think morally are relative to different cultures. There is no objective morality, but instead, morality varies from culture to culture. This type of relativism can be split into two theses: the  diversity thesis and the dependency thesis.

Diversity thesis: this is the idea that cultures are intrinsically diverse. They have different maxims, traditions, and ideas on how to act and behave morally. Because of this diversity, it is then a logical conclusion that morality is also diverse, and that there can be no objective morality applicable to all cultures.

Example: it may be considered right to chop the hand of a robber in Saudi Arabia, but this punishment may be seen as horrendous in France. Instead, the French might put someone in jail, which the Saudi Arabians may think as unfair and illogical. 

Dependency thesis: this is the idea that morality is dependent on the nature of the society, and culture. The ways in which the cultures think and work influence their morality, and how to behave. Morality is shapped on the nature of society, and the nature of society is influenced by the people, time and reformation. Morality is…