the concept that a cultural system can be viewed only in terms of the principles, background, frame of reference, and history that characterize it.
The view that there are (absolutely) no absolutes - a self-refuting view. A relativist (someone who believes in relativism) believes that truth is relative, that there is no absolute truth, that our beliefs shape our reality, etc. Relativism is particularly dangerous because it means that definite moral standards get abandoned. For more information read the article Are All Religions The Same? by Dr Steve Kumar.
can be epistemological (or `conceptual'), cultural or moral. The first of these involves the rejection of absolute standards for judging truth. The second suggests that different cultures define phenomena in different ways, so that the perspective of one culture cannot be used to understand that of another. The third implies that perceptions of good and evil are matters of social agreement rather than having universal validity.
in the Protagorean sense, relativism is a theory about the relativity of knowledge and the relativity of sense perception. Often referred to as homo mensura (man is the measure in Latin). Therefore it would be erroneous to say that one person is right (has the truth) and another person is wrong (does not have the truth) about sense perception. Truth does not exist independently of a perceiver and his assertion that something is true. Back to top of this page second cause: (secondary) is a cause which is dependent of another. The finite cause needs God to support and sustain its existence.
view that beliefs are relative to historical and cultural context.
the view that truths are cultural dependant.
is used to indicate several different views. The first, which is also called "ethical subjectivism," is the view that the truth of some ethical judgment as applied to a person's behavior depends on whether the person believes the actions to be right or wrong.
the system of thought based upon the interrelatedness of all things; a philosophy that holds to no transcendent or objective truth for all people, places, and times.
Relativism takes several forms. Descriptive ethical relativism maintains that different cultures and societies have differing ethical systems. Normative ethical relativism claims that each culture's beliefs or value system are right within that culture, and that it is impossible to validly judge another culture's values externally or objectively. As such there are no absolute moral norms. Some relativists hold that moral absolutes may exist but that they are unknowable. J. L. Mackie is a famous contemporary Relativist philosopher.
Any theory holding that truth or moral value is not universal or absolute but may differ between individuals or cultures.
A theory, especially in ethics or aesthetics, that conceptions of truth and moral values are not absolute but are relative to the persons or groups holding them. OR In philosophy, the view that the truth is relative to any individual or situation, that there is no standard we can use to decide which beliefs make most sense.
In ethics, there are two main type of relativism. Descriptive ethical relativism simply claims as a matter of fact that different people have different moral beliefs, but it takes no stand on whether those beliefs are valid or not. Normative ethical relativism claims that each culture’s (or group’s) beliefs are right within that culture, and that it is impossible to validly judge another culture’s values from the outside.
epistemological relativism is characterised by the belief that there are no universal or absolute truths and that all forms of knowledge including science are influenced by social, cultural and ideological contexts in which they are generated; this idea is often linked to postmodernism. Cultural or ethical relativism refers to the acceptance of the values of other societies and cultures as equally valid as those of one's own social and cultural group. It is arguable that a commitment to cultural or ethical relativism at some level is necessary for the conduct of research into culture, and has been a central idea in the development of cultural anthropology.
The view that truth is relative and not absolute. It varies from people to people, time to time.
The false idea that there is no such thing as absolute truth, but that truth depends on one's background and point of view; relativism rejects the objective nature of the truth of God's Word, dismisses the concept of moral absolutes, and ultimately opposes the biblical teaching that there is no salvation apart from faith in Jesus.
