ABSTRACT
Cultural relativism (CR) says that good and bad are relative to culture. What is "good" is what is "socially approved" in a given culture. Morality is a cultural construct. The myth of objectivity says that things can be good or bad "absolutely" – not relative to this or that culture. The cultural differences argument points out that cultures can differ radically on moral issues, like infanticide, polygamy, and women's rights. The product of culture argument begins by seeing that societies create value systems and teach them to their members. CR gives a basis for a common morality within a culture – a democratic basis that pools everyone's ideas and ensures that the norms have wide support. With CR, the central virtue of the moral life is conformity; good actions are ones that are socially approved. By outlawing disagreements, CR would stagnate society and violate the critical spirit that characterizes philosophy.
