Conventional ethical relativism supports the value of tolerance
True
False
The correct answer and explanation is:
The correct answer is True.
Conventional ethical relativism holds that moral values and principles are not absolute but are relative to the cultural, social, or individual context in which they arise. This perspective suggests that what is considered morally right or wrong can vary from one culture or society to another, and there is no universal standard for judging these differences.
One of the key implications of this view is that it supports tolerance because it emphasizes that different societies or individuals may have different moral beliefs, and each of these beliefs is valid within its own context. Therefore, conventional ethical relativism encourages people to accept and respect cultural differences, rather than impose a single moral framework on all groups.
In practical terms, this means that, according to conventional ethical relativism, actions that may seem morally wrong in one culture (for example, practices around marriage, family structures, or certain laws) could be morally acceptable in another culture. Rather than condemning these differences, the relativist view calls for tolerance—understanding that moral diversity is an inherent part of human society and that each culture’s values should be respected.
However, critics of ethical relativism argue that this can lead to moral paralysis, where individuals may hesitate to intervene in harmful practices because they believe they are culturally relative. For instance, the practice of human rights violations in some societies might be defended as culturally specific under relativism, but opponents argue that this cannot be tolerated, as certain rights should be universal.
Despite these criticisms, the foundational idea of conventional ethical relativism is that tolerance is an essential aspect of understanding moral diversity and promoting peaceful coexistence in a multicultural world.