Deck 2: Cultural Relativism

Question 1

Over the last few decades,it has become clear that some see the practice of spanking children to be an instance of disciplining while others see the same as physical abuse.According to the author,if individuals on each side of this dispute came to understand the alternative view,what would be MOST likely to happen?

A) a loosening of one's own views
B) a strengthening of one's own views
C) the development of a compromise between the views
D) a rejection of the question as cultural imperialism

Answer 1

A

Question 2

In recent decades in areas as diverse as Rwanda,Sri Lanka,and Brazil,there have been mass killings that have been described by some as genocides.By what moral standard do other countries raise their concerns about such practices?

A) an anthropological stance
B) cultural hegemony
C) pseudo-relativism
D) two-level relativism

Answer 2

D

Question 3

Patrick Hamilton's 1929 play Rope (later adapted for film by Alfred Hitchcock)portrays two students murdering another out of a desire to prove their moral superiority.Briefly discuss how aspects of Dostoyevsky's and Nietzsche's work would be relevant to examining this scenario.

Answer 3

Answers will vary.A sufficient answer should/might include a discussion of Raskolnikov's desire to overcome conventional morality,Nietzsche's indication that much of morality is "herd" morality,and/or a discussion of moral nihilism.

Question 4

In most human societies,the act of taking without permission is seen as a moral transgression.The punishment for this varies from shunning to removal of a hand.Our reaction to how this taboo is dealt with can be understood as a measure of our acceptance of which of the following?

A) pseudo-relativism
B) two-level relativism
C) commonsense morality
D) cultural appropriation

Question 5

A common practice in Denmark is for parents to leave infants in strollers outside cafes or restaurants.In the United States,following such practices would cause parents to be cited for child neglect or endangerment.This difference is best understood as which of the following?

A) an indication of how each culture values children
B) the superiority of one culture over another
C) a need to accept a convention within a culture
D) the importance of child safety

Question 6

According to Michele Moody-Adams,identifying the group in which an individual belongs is

A) the final step of moral evaluation.
B) required for cultural sensitivity.
C) an overly difficult or impossible task.
D) less important than understanding the person's beliefs.

Question 7

Briefly describe the difference between cognitivist and noncognitivist understandings of moral judgements.

Question 8

Briefly explain the difference between thick and thin moral concepts and what problem the distinction is meant to address.

Question 9

The Malagasy people of Madagascar have a tradition of joining together as a family every seven years,removing the bodies of their ancestors from their tombs,rewrapping them,and dancing around the tombs before reinterning the bodies.The acceptance of this practice by non-Malagasy is best understood as respecting which of the following?

A) cultural relativism
B) cultural self-determination
C) moral objectivism
D) concern for others

Question 10

Philosopher Philippa Foot discusses elsewhere that in a culture it might be important to always go counter-clockwise around a tree.This is an example of which of the following?

A) cultural competency
B) cultural relativism
C) intercultural awareness
D) variation in social practices

Question 11

Since moral evaluations change over time,we can understand what is morally correct at any period
of time across communities.

Question 12

Some philosophers claim our ability to make moral decisions without extensive study of moral theory is like our ability to do which of the following?

A) whistle without studying music theory
B) use language without studying grammar
C) operate a cell phone without studying electric engineering
D) cook food without studying to become a chef

Question 13

Imagine that humans encounter an advanced form of intelligent life that believes in the action-guiding information on the Q wavelength,which we humans are unable to observe either directly or via scientific machinery.What might Mackie have to say about our alien friend's moral decision making?

Question 14

As noted in the chapter,an expressivist denunciation of racism is little more than a statement of "I don't like that!" Briefly explain how you would respond to such an understanding of a moral criticism.

Question 15

In J.K.Rowling's Harry Potter books,Hermione Granger starts a group called the Society for the Promotion of Elvish Welfare (SPEW),which advocates for better treatment of house-elves (a species whose role in Rowling's universe largely serves as servants/slaves for magical humans).Ms.Granger's reliance on fairness in her arguments for SPEW can best be understood as drawing on which of the following?

A) a "moral code" shared across all moralities
B) a dissatisfaction with the particular practices of the wizarding world
C) a cultural imperialism
D) a modest relativism

Question 16

Moral subjectivism presupposes that values are "real" and therefore in some sense exist in the world.

Question 17

The presence of "Eastern" spiritual traditions in the West (e.g. ,Buddhism)and vice versa (e.g. ,Baptists in Japan)points to what aspect of cultural relativism?

A) It is important to place individuals in the correct cultural group.
B) Intermingling of cultures brings us closer to understanding objective moral truths.
C) An enlightened understanding embraces complexity.
D) This doesn't reflect the complexity of moral life.