Cultural Relativism: James Rachel’s Claims

The concept of cultural relativism is a well-known phenomenon described by scholars, and the six claims of James Rachel is a model allowing us to examine it. However, since not all of the statements are equally justified, the strongest of them is: “There is no “universal truth” in ethics; that is, there are no moral truths that hold for all peoples at all times.” It implies the difference between their perceptions of ethical and unethical deeds, which is the basis for their decision-making process. As a result, the guidance for representatives of various cultural groups related to morality and ethics depends on their perspectives on these aspects. The selection of this claim as the strongest out of the six statements presented by Rachel is conditional upon the fact that it is connected to the underpinning of cultural relativism rather than its consequences.

In turn, the weakest claim from the list is: “It is mere arrogance for us to try to judge the conduct of other peoples. We should adopt an attitude of tolerance toward the practices of other cultures.” In contrast to the thought presented above, it does not explain why exactly the neglect of others’ actions can be viewed as arrogance. It does not state why it is crucial to demonstrate tolerance toward the cultural specificities of all population groups either. On the contrary, this claim is formulated as a rule without the provision of a reason for it. Meanwhile, the understanding of differences in the way to successful intercultural exchange, not the other way round. One cannot fully trust the guidance without knowing why it is important, and this consideration makes the statement weak.