Cultural Relativism

I agree with most of the statements made in this article. Without any analysis, Cultural Relativism does seem like a good thing. It promotes open mindedness and the acceptance of differences. However, when looked at more closely, it is revealed to be an idea hindering progress and necessary change. In order to fully understand the world we live in, we must be able to recognize and accept the differences of the various cultures existing around us. In Things Fall Apart, white missionaries bring Christianity to the Igbo people and attempt to get them to convert. This causes a lot of problems within their society because the Igbo people and their religion disagree with everything the missionaries are telling them. The people that initially convert to Christianity are the ones who are already outcasts in the Igbo society and as more join they are pushed even farther away from their families that remain loyal to the Igbo faith.  The Igbo people even consider waging war on the missionaries. All of this tension is due to a lack of understanding amongst the two groups. The missionaries attempted to force their beliefs on the Igbo people and that was not effective because they had their own idea of right and wrong and what was the truth about the gods. They would have been able to live harmoniously if they accepted the fact that they had differing views and may have been able to help each society prosper. This exemplifies the idea in Cultural Relativism that every culture has their own set of morals. This is true to some extent but overall, people have the same sense of right and wrong. In any culture, you can’t go around killing whoever you want. Every culture also has a sense of responsibility and nurture for the youth because they are the ones who will be continuing the legacy of society. This is the main reason Cultural Relativism is rejected. The consequences it would lead to just make it implausible to be successful in today’s world. One of the big things Cultural Relativism can be applied to today is homosexuality. The debate on whether it is right and should be legalized has been going on for as long as I can remember. Certain religions believe that it is wrong and will continue to fight against it thus hindering the change necessary for society at this time. If people are able to come to accept the fact that there are different views on love than the ones they have personally, it could be legalized. Just because it’s legal that doesn’t mean you have to agree with it. You are still able to have your own opinion when allowing people to love who they want.