What is the difference between moral relativism and cultural relativism? Anyone?

Moral relativism questions the possibility of qualifying human acts as good or bad. Further, it states that circumstances determine the character of human acts. Further even, it states there is no "good" or "bad" but only concrete utility decides whether or not a given act was appropriate or inappropriate. Cultural relativism must be a different issue. It may concern globalization as to its effects in different cultures, it may concern cultural diversity of the world which is being united by the new communication technology.

Moral relativists would say that what you ought to do(in a moral sense) is do whatever you think is right.

For example, if you saw someone with a nice Ipod and you thought it was fine for you to take it and you take it then you are following your moral code and have acted in a highly moral way.

Cultural relativists would say that what you ought to do (again in a moral sense) is do what people in your specific culture thinks is right. For example, in the US it is illegal to rape children and it is culturally unacceptable so if you rape a child it is morally unacceptable. However if on some island somewhere it was okay to rape children in that society it would be morally okay to do it there.

You can see the obvious problems with both of these ideas of normative morality.

Moral relativism holds that morals are true to each individual.

Cultural relativism holds that morals are true to each culture.

The problem with relativism is there isn't any way to make something immoral. The good thing about relativism is that it promotes toleration.

Hope this helps.

Cultural relativism says that different culture have different moral codes; which is true.

Moral relativism says that it is okay that different cultures have different moral codes, and that there is no absolute, overriding moral code. This is false.

Relativism is the principle that all points of view are equally valid and that all truth is relative to the individual. Moral and cultural relativism are perceived by many as somewhat similar and are easily confused. However there is a substantial difference between the two, which will be explored in the following.

Cultural relativism is the manner that a person's attitude and conduct should be understood in terms of his or her culture. It explains the reasons why those from different cultures have a vastly different way of life.

Cultural diversity has been documented since the earliest times. The Greek historian Herodotus travelled around the world and found it vastly different from his native homeland "The customs of the Getae...when a baby is born the family sits around and mourns at the though of suffering it must in endure...but when somebody dies, they bury him with merriment and rejoicing" this exemplifies the gulf between beliefs throughout the world then. Now, there are still limitless different beliefs in the world. One of these is the death penalty. It is enforced in numerous countries such as the United States and Thailand yet in even more countries it is highly frowned upon showing the cultural diversity of many countries on just one topic.