Relativism: an idea that failed before it started

http://wmbriggs.com/blog/2009/03/09/relativism-an-idea-that-failed-before-it-started/ ^ | William Briggs

[mattstat]

The Books of Absolutes: A Critique of Relativism and a Defence of Universals

William D. Gairdner

McGill-Queen’s University Press

Recommendation: Read

Let’s play spot the flaw. In 1994, professor Mark Glazer said, “Cultural relativism in anthropology is a key methodological concept which is universally accepted within the discipline.” (It’s the very first sentence after the link.)

Don’t have it yet? Then let’s remind ourselves of what cultural relativism means: “Cultural relativism is the view that all beliefs are equally valid and that truth itself is relative, depending on the situation, environment, and individual.”

You surely have it by now, so let’s move on to the twelve objections to relativism as outlined by Gairdner in his Book of Absolutes.

Wait…what? You don’t see the flaw? Ah, I guess it’s hard to spot contradictions like this when we’re exposed to them so often that they seem natural...

[SumProVita]

Unfortunately, our nation is thoroughly afflicted with relativism.

[Soothesayer]

That’s ethical relativism. Cultural relativism simply means you must better understand the culture before judging it.

[ClearCase_guy]

I see the twentieth century as largely a wasteland. There were some good things done, don't get me wrong. But so much of the art was just childish scribbling, so much of the writing was sophomoric, so much of the philosophizing was asinine. Politically and culturally, we traveled down a large number of dead end roads over the past 100 years.

I'm not overly optimistic, but part of me thinks that we are now facing an enormous smash-up that has the potential to wipe away a lot of the false ideas and force people to focus on things that are real, things that are worthwhile, and things that don't need to hide behind obfuscatory jargon.