Relativism
From Geography
Definition
This theory states that 'no ideas or beliefs are universally true but that they are 'relative'. There are several forms of relativism which vary in their degree of controversy. Examples of this are truth relativism and moral relativism. Truth relativism states there is no absolute truth of things, and that truth is always relative to some particular frame or reference. Moral relativism is more concerned about the differences in moral judgment of different people and cultures.
Anthropological Relativism or Cultural Relativism is a theory that was estabalished by Franz Boas in the first few decades of the 20th century. The first use of the term however was by philosopher and social theorist Alain Locke in 1924. With the use of the method of Anthropoligical Relativism a researcher suspsends his own cultural biase and investigates a part of an other civilization. By making these steps the researcher tries to avoid to look subjectively to a different culture and judge it subjectively.
Philosophical Relativism states that the truth of a proposition depends on who interprets it because this theory is convinced that no moral or cultural consensus will be reached.
Descriptive Relativism assumes that different cultural groups have different modes of thought, standards of reasoning, and so forth, and hereby it is the researcher's task to describe and not validate these principles.
Mormative Relativism shows much more subjectivity, it states that modes of thought, standards of reasoning, and related subject are only right or wrong because of a designed framework.
References
- American Heritage Dictionary definition of 'Relativism'
- Harry Collins, What's wrong with relativism? (1998)
- Locke, Shaftesbury, and Hutcheson: Contesting Diversity in the enloightenment and Beyond by Dr. Daniel Carey
Contributors
- Page created by Paul van den Hogen --PaulHogen 16:26, 24 September 2012
