Cultural relativism is an objectively incoherent doctrine.
Let me define potentially ambiguous terms at the outset: by “cultural relativism” I mean the idea that it is wrong to cast judgment upon the culture of another nation or ethnicity. By objective, I really do mean objective: it is not up for dispute; the facts demonstrate it in the same way that they demonstrate that AU is located in Washington, D.C.
Cultural relativists are caught up in a sort of maddening “this-sentence-is-false” paradox: by declaring all values relative to circumstance and undefinable by any outside standard, they have themselves erected a singular criterion of judgment. And proponents of such a doctrine will find that they are forced to declare cultures backwards that do not recognize its validity.
Indeed, one is hard-pressed to find a more ethnocentric culture than Islamic civilization. And yet, what is heard from the lips of the relativists? Eruptions of anger over the fact that Islam declares itself the one proper path? Of course not. It’s nothing but self-flagellation; criticism that the West cannot accept that a belief in Islamic cultural superiority is just “part of their culture.” But this is completely incoherent.
Equally bizarre, cultural relativists are usually the quickest to combat the purported evils of sexism, racism and homophobia in America. But what on Earth is a cultural relativist doing judging how society looks at homosexuality or the role of women? American culture is a culture just like any other. Indeed, the only culture that seems not to get a free pass is one’s own.
Looked at through this lens, it is easy to see that cultural relativism is merely a benign form of imperialism, one that falls prey to the same sociological phenomena its proponents so decry: by internalizing the concept that foreign cultures are “the other,” unequal and wholly patronizing standards of judgment are used to assess them, rather than the same ones that are used to evaluate one’s own culture. And because the cultural relativist is able to cast aside nagging questions about whether other cultures truly can be backwards in some respect, he is able to play the role of parent or superior, in his own benign, patronizing little way. The real message of relativism is not “Don’t judge him; his standards are different,” but rather, “Leave that benighted fool be; he doesn’t know what he’s doing.”
Unless he wants to live in philosophical limbo, then, the cultural relativist thus has three choices: (1) Evaluate American culture by the same criterion of judgment and proclaim, “That’s their culture, stop judging it!” when someone criticizes sexism or homophobia; (2) start criticizing Islamic culture with as much vigor as Robert Spencer and Ayaan Hirsi Ali for its intolerance, sexism and homophobia, or (3) admit the incoherence of the doctrine and concede at long last that there are clear standards of judgment that can be applied to all cultures. There are no other alternatives.
Alex Knepper is a sophomore in the School of Public Affairs and a classical liberal columnist for The Eagle. You can reach him at edpage@theeagleonline.com.
