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Apparently if you are a college student, and you're not a relativst, you're an ethnocentric, racist, stubborn piece of shit.
Guess what? I'm not a relativist. In my worldview there are certain things that are wrong morally and ethically and I don't care what culture you're from. The professor says "You can't judge other culture." Oh, yes I can. And I do. But lest you think that I [I]am[/I] bigoted in some way, let me give you my entire list of what I believe is wrong.
1) Murder, or pre-medatating the act and taking another human life. I don't care if your god tells you Human Sacrifice is necessary. I'm going to say it's wrong.
2) Rape. Wrong.
3) Ritualistically mutilating genetalia in an effort to deaden sexual response, thus increasing the power and control held over (in this case) women. (Or any action that is designed to oppress or to continue to oppress an entire people...and I think almost every nation and people is guilty of this...) This was the sticking point. People kept saying "Oh, I'd never do perform female circumsicion, but I don't think it's wrong. We can judge them." Oh yeah? Well I do think it's wrong. I will say it's wrong, and I don't give a flying fuck if it's judgemental.
Here's what I think about relativism. In general, I am a relativist. In general, I'm very much a live and let live person. In fact, as long as my morals are not violated (murder, rape, the systematic oppression of an entire people or half the population) I really don't care what you do and can't be bothered to label it either good or bad. What I think though, when people say "We can't judge this horrible thing because it's their culture" what they are really saying is "I'm too lazy to figure out what the underlying cause is and soI'm just going to accept it because it's what they do."
I think it's intellectually lazy to be a strict relativist, I think it's intellectually dishonest, and I think it's the mark of a moral coward. Note that I said strict relativist--something that very people are. However, it seems every person on this campus aspires to be one without giving thought to it completely, and taking it to its logical conclusion.
Why do I think they're cowards? Because if they gave thought to it, and really investigated the motives and the reasons and the underlying social structure they'll be frightened of what they see, and forced to move from their smugly superior position of never judging anybody. IOW, they are hiding their heads in the sand.
Furthermore, having the cajones to say "Action A in Culture B" is wrong does not mean you accept every single aspect of your own culture. I have a whole fucking laundry list of problems with my culture, and how people are treated, and some of the norms and mores. But we weren't talking about our culture, were we? We were talking about a different one, and so whatever problems I have with America has nothing to do with the discussion at hand. It seems that the people in my class have this bizarre idea that if you criticize an aspect of some culture you are simultaneously praising every aspect of your own and also condemning every aspect of theirs.
My Big Three, to me, are not cultural issues. They are Human Rights issues. Now, is just saying it's wrong enough? Or should I try to fix it? I'll be honest. I don't think it's my place to fix other people's cultures, even if I do think certain aspects are wrong. How do you "fix" thousands of years of traditions and belief? You can't and it's pointless to try. I think everybody is responsible for righting the wrongs within their own culture. Therefore, I'll be concentrating on the problems I have with how the West does things and I'll be leaving the other countries to the citizens thereof. Which brings up another point they can't seem to grasp. Just by saying "Action A in Culture B is morally wrong" does not imply intent to ride in on a white stallion and magically fix everything with my superior Western knowledge and way of thinking. In fact, that would directly contradict point number 3 on my list of Things That Are Wrong.
Why did I write this huge fucking post? Because I'm venting and I need to get this out before I explode with frustration.
Guess what? I'm not a relativist. In my worldview there are certain things that are wrong morally and ethically and I don't care what culture you're from. The professor says "You can't judge other culture." Oh, yes I can. And I do. But lest you think that I [I]am[/I] bigoted in some way, let me give you my entire list of what I believe is wrong.
1) Murder, or pre-medatating the act and taking another human life. I don't care if your god tells you Human Sacrifice is necessary. I'm going to say it's wrong.
2) Rape. Wrong.
3) Ritualistically mutilating genetalia in an effort to deaden sexual response, thus increasing the power and control held over (in this case) women. (Or any action that is designed to oppress or to continue to oppress an entire people...and I think almost every nation and people is guilty of this...) This was the sticking point. People kept saying "Oh, I'd never do perform female circumsicion, but I don't think it's wrong. We can judge them." Oh yeah? Well I do think it's wrong. I will say it's wrong, and I don't give a flying fuck if it's judgemental.
Here's what I think about relativism. In general, I am a relativist. In general, I'm very much a live and let live person. In fact, as long as my morals are not violated (murder, rape, the systematic oppression of an entire people or half the population) I really don't care what you do and can't be bothered to label it either good or bad. What I think though, when people say "We can't judge this horrible thing because it's their culture" what they are really saying is "I'm too lazy to figure out what the underlying cause is and soI'm just going to accept it because it's what they do."
I think it's intellectually lazy to be a strict relativist, I think it's intellectually dishonest, and I think it's the mark of a moral coward. Note that I said strict relativist--something that very people are. However, it seems every person on this campus aspires to be one without giving thought to it completely, and taking it to its logical conclusion.
Why do I think they're cowards? Because if they gave thought to it, and really investigated the motives and the reasons and the underlying social structure they'll be frightened of what they see, and forced to move from their smugly superior position of never judging anybody. IOW, they are hiding their heads in the sand.
Furthermore, having the cajones to say "Action A in Culture B" is wrong does not mean you accept every single aspect of your own culture. I have a whole fucking laundry list of problems with my culture, and how people are treated, and some of the norms and mores. But we weren't talking about our culture, were we? We were talking about a different one, and so whatever problems I have with America has nothing to do with the discussion at hand. It seems that the people in my class have this bizarre idea that if you criticize an aspect of some culture you are simultaneously praising every aspect of your own and also condemning every aspect of theirs.
My Big Three, to me, are not cultural issues. They are Human Rights issues. Now, is just saying it's wrong enough? Or should I try to fix it? I'll be honest. I don't think it's my place to fix other people's cultures, even if I do think certain aspects are wrong. How do you "fix" thousands of years of traditions and belief? You can't and it's pointless to try. I think everybody is responsible for righting the wrongs within their own culture. Therefore, I'll be concentrating on the problems I have with how the West does things and I'll be leaving the other countries to the citizens thereof. Which brings up another point they can't seem to grasp. Just by saying "Action A in Culture B is morally wrong" does not imply intent to ride in on a white stallion and magically fix everything with my superior Western knowledge and way of thinking. In fact, that would directly contradict point number 3 on my list of Things That Are Wrong.
Why did I write this huge fucking post? Because I'm venting and I need to get this out before I explode with frustration.