Question 1

Which of the following is not one of the claims typically made by cultural relativists?&#10;A) There is no universal truth in ethics.&#10;B) Western values are generally superior to non-Western values.&#10;C) We should adopt an attitude of tolerance toward other cultures.&#10;D) Different societies have different moral codes.

Accepted Answer

Cultural relativism posits that moral codes vary from culture to culture and that no single moral framework is universally superior to others. It emphasizes understanding and tolerance of cultural differences, rather than asserting the superiority of one set of values over another, making option B incorrect in the context of cultural relativism.

Question 2

According to the Cultural Differences Argument, the fact that different cultures have different moral codes implies that&#10;A) there is no objective &#34;truth&#34; in morality.&#10;B) some cultures are more &#34;advanced&#34; than others.&#10;C) might makes right.&#10;D) the will of God is difficult to discern.

Accepted Answer

The Cultural Differences Argument suggests that the existence of diverse moral codes across cultures implies that moral truth is not objective, but rather subjective and varies from one culture to another.

Question 3

According to Rachels, the Cultural Differences Argument&#10;A) is basically sound.&#10;B) draws a conclusion that does not follow from the argument's premise.&#10;C) is rooted in a false premise.&#10;D) demonstrates the truth of cultural relativism.

Accepted Answer

The Cultural Differences Argument suggests that since different cultures have different moral codes, there is no objective truth in morality. Rachels criticizes this argument by pointing out that the conclusion (there is no objective truth in morality) does not logically follow from the premise (different cultures have different moral codes). This is because the mere fact of disagreement does not necessarily negate the possibility of an objective truth.

Question 4

Rachels mentions that some societies believe the earth to be flat to make which of the following points?&#10;A) As in morality, truth in geography is culturally relative.&#10;B) The mere fact that people disagree about something does not prove that there is no &#34;objective truth&#34; of the matter.&#10;C) Cultural relativism must be false.&#10;D) Scientific truths must be discovered through experimentation, whereas moral values are innate.

Accepted Answer

Rachel's mention of societies believing the earth to be flat serves to illustrate that just because there is disagreement on a subject (in this case, the shape of the earth), it does not mean there is no objective truth to be found. This analogy is used to argue against the notion that moral relativism is justified by the mere existence of disagreement on moral issues.

Question 5

Rachels argues that Cultural Relativism, if true, would call _______ into question.&#10;A) our ideas about social reform&#10;B) our ideas about moral progress&#10;C) whether anything our society does is better than anything any other society does&#10;D) All of the above

Accepted Answer

Rachels argues that if Cultural Relativism were true, it would challenge our ideas about social reform, moral progress, and the notion that our society's practices could be better than those of any other society, as it posits that moral rightness and wrongness are relative to cultures.

Question 6

According to Rachels, different customs in different cultures&#10;A) necessarily reflect fundamental disagreements about values.&#10;B) reveal that the idea of &#34;human nature&#34; is a myth.&#10;C) are often rooted in differing religious and factual beliefs.&#10;D) are evidence that some cultures are more morally advanced than others.

Accepted Answer

Rachels argues that different customs in different cultures often stem from differing religious and factual beliefs rather than fundamental disagreements about values or the idea that some cultures are morally superior to others.

Question 7

Among the Eskimos, female infanticide is practiced more frequently than male infanticide because&#10;A) Eskimos have greater affection for boys than girls.&#10;B) Eskimo males die prematurely at much higher rates than Eskimo females.&#10;C) Eskimos believe it is shameful for a woman to give birth to more than one daughter.&#10;D) marriage dowries are a heavy burden on the parents of girls.

Accepted Answer

Eskimo males have a higher rate of premature death due to the harsh and dangerous conditions they often work in, such as hunting and fishing in extreme environments. This leads to a higher practice of female infanticide to maintain a balanced gender ratio within the community.

Question 8

Why does Rachels say that not every moral rule can vary from society to society?&#10;A) Some rules are necessary for society to exist.&#10;B) Human beings share a common creator.&#10;C) Certain values are innate.&#10;D) Human beings have all evolved from a common ancestral line.

Accepted Answer

Rachels argues that some moral rules are necessary for any society to exist, such as rules against lying and murder, because without them, social cooperation would be impossible.

Question 9

Rachels argues that accepting Cultural Relativism would&#10;A) undermine our ability to conduct scientific research.&#10;B) undermine the possibility of religious faith.&#10;C) make us more tolerant and peace-loving.&#10;D) force us to admit that repugnant practices like slavery are immune from criticism.

Accepted Answer

Cultural Relativism posits that moral codes and beliefs are relative to each culture, which means that if a culture deems a practice like slavery to be morally acceptable, then from the perspective of Cultural Relativism, it cannot be universally condemned. This leads to the conclusion that repugnant practices are beyond criticism if they are embedded in a culture's moral framework.

Question 10

Rachels doubts the truth of cultural relativism for which of the following reasons?&#10;A) It rests on an invalid argument.&#10;B) It has certain consequences that make it implausible on its face.&#10;C) The extent of cultural disagreement is not as significant as cultural relativists usually imply.&#10;D) Al of the above

Accepted Answer

Rachels argues against cultural relativism by pointing out that it is based on an invalid argument (the conclusion does not logically follow from its premises), it leads to consequences that are implausible (such as the inability to criticize harmful practices in other cultures), and the extent of actual moral disagreement between cultures is often exaggerated, suggesting that there may be some universal moral principles.

Question 11

That different cultures have different moral codes is a relatively recent discovery.

Accepted Answer

The answer of That different cultures have different moral codes...

Question 12

Rachels believes that some of the elements of cultural relativism are true.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Rachels believes that some of the elements...

Question 13

The Cultural Differences Argument seeks to draw a conclusion about what is true from claims about what is believed.

Accepted Answer

The answer of The Cultural Differences Argument seeks to draw...

Question 14

Rachels believes that the fundamental mistake in the Cultural Differences Argument is that it makes incorrect assumptions about the extent of cross-cultural disagreement about morality.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Rachels believes that the fundamental mistake in...

Question 15

If cultural relativism is true, a social &#34;reformer&#34; cannot legitimately challenge the ideals of their society.

Accepted Answer

The answer of If cultural relativism is true, a social...

Question 16

Rachels finds the idea of moral progress to be incompatible with cultural relativism.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Rachels finds the idea of moral progress...

Question 17

Rachels thinks it makes no sense to condemn some societies as inferior to our own.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Rachels thinks it makes no sense to...

Question 18

Rachels believes that the Eskimos' practice of infanticide is not necessarily evidence of a fundamental disagreement with the moral values of the Western culture.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Rachels believes that the Eskimos' practice of...

Question 19

Sometimes what appears to be fundamental disagreement about moral principles is, in fact, merely disagreement about facts.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Sometimes what appears to be fundamental disagreement...

Question 20

Cultural relativism, according to Rachels, is a theory about the nature of morality.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Cultural relativism, according to Rachels, is a...

Question 21

Is it possible to be both a social reformer and a cultural relativist? If so, explain how. Can you give any examples of social reform movements that might make sense from a cultural relativist perspective?

Accepted Answer

The answer of Is it possible to be both a...

Question 22

Rachels argues that all cultures must have some values in common. Why does he think this? Do you agree? Explain your position.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Rachels argues that all cultures must have...

Question 23

What is the problem with drawing conclusions about what is true from facts about what people believe? Provide an example that makes clear why this is a mistake.

Accepted Answer

The answer of What is the problem with drawing conclusions...

Question 24

If cultural relativism were true, would it follow that different societies should be tolerant of their differences? Why or why not?

Accepted Answer

The answer of If cultural relativism were true, would it...

Question 25

Rachels claims that we may draw two lessons from cultural relativism. What are these two lessons? Do you agree with Rachels on these two points?

Accepted Answer

The answer of Rachels claims that we may draw two...

Deck 6: The Challenge of Cultural Relativism James Rachels