Ruth Benedict: A Defense of Ethical Relativism

Ruth Benedict’s argued in her article “A Defense of Ethical Relativism” that behaviors vary depending on the culture and society. This means that what might be morally right for one culture or society might be completely immoral or unethical in another however each culture and society is equally correct. She concludes that moral relativism is a correct way when viewing morality in societies. Benedict begins her discussion talking about the homosexuality and the issue of it, in different cultures. She provides us with examples for her claim when she states “Plato’s Republic is, of course, the most convincing statement of such a reading of homosexuality. It is presented as one of the major means to the good life, and it was generally so regarded in Greece at that time” (Benedict, 1934, p. 3). In this sense, we have a tendency to see what’s virtuously acceptable, by a selected society and what is supported in their practices and ideologies. However in her study in northwest island of Melanesia she brings up that different cultures have different views. Another example is the Kwakiutl, tribe and how the they perceive things differently due to it being a culture that has not been in contact with standard civilization and has not been in influenced by the US especially when it comes to murder. Benedict includes “Among the Kwakiutl it did not matter whether a relative had died in bed of disease, or by the hand of an enemy, in either case was an affront to be wiped out by the death of another person” (p. 2) Eventually when the members of the tribe went out to look for the other tribe, they found seven men and two children asleep and killed them. “Then they felt good when they arrived at Sebaa in the evening”. Americans on the other hand view that as culture shock we would see them as immoral and unethical people to the extreme knowing they felt good about committing a murder. To the tribe members it’s something they have no problem in doing, its part of there everyday life and culture. This example shows us what is moral in one society versus what is immoral in another. Personally from reading Benedict’s article, as well as from my personal experience, knowledge and coming from a different cultural background compared to some of my friends, that morality is relative to culture. I believe in her argument even though I might not believe or agree with different cultures, when it comes to their views. Growing up we all come from either a different ethnic background or a different society group,we see and adapt to social norms in our society. Why I believe in Benedict’s defense is because music is different around the world, but who’s to say one genre is better than another. They are all equal but certain groups of people like different genres and listen to it for different reasons. The same way certain groups listen to different genres is the same way other cultures and society do what they do for different reasons at the end we can’t judge them, we just have to understand everyone’s morality is not the same.

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