The Philosophical Theory of Cultural Beliefs

Cultural relativism states that all beliefs, customs, and ethics are relative to the individual within his or her own social background. In other words, "right" and "wrong" are culture-specific; what is considered moral in one society may be considered immoral in another, and, since no universal standard of morality exists, no one has the right to judge another society's customs. Furthermore it is intolerant of us to judge other cultural practices as immoral, unethical, or wrong. The best way to avoid the trap of thinking that the unfamiliar equals the inadequate is to apply careful reasoning for, or against, a practice rather than relying on prejudice.

Cultural relativism dictates that there is no universal truth or independent standard in ethics. If one culture's practices are said to be "right" or "wrong" then that implies there is an independent standard by which they might be judged. This independent standard cannot exist, as all humans have, to some extent or another, the belief that some of their morals and practices are better than another's. This makes it impossible for a universal independent standard to be made or recognized, as it would be biased towards the cultures dictating it. Thus, "Different cultures have different moral codes. What is thought right within one group may be utterly abhorrent to the members of another group" (James Rachels, pg 1)

One of the positive results of cultural relativism is tolerance. By accepting another culture's ideas and practices as "neutral", or at least not "wrong", then there is much more tolerance of different lifestyles, practices, morals and values. This results in a decrease in prejudice, stereotypes, and racism and hate crimes.