Cultural beliefs and practices cannot and should not be interpreted without a reference to the cultural differences of people. Therefore, it is crucial to not judge one person’s actions by the standards of another culture. The judgment of right or wrong can only be done within the structure of that culture. Moreover, the universalization of ethical values of a particular culture is a complex and perhaps an impossible task to achieve. Through history we have witnessed that ethics and morality are shaped and derived from one’s cultural beliefs. The aim of this paper is to show through examples that ethical systems are not universally the same because of culture and time.
To have a better understanding of how ethical systems are not universally …show more content…
To illustrate this idea, Rosaldo explains the beliefs of the Filipino hill tribe, the Ilongots, whose people were headhunters. When conceptualizing the word “headhunting,” we may be horrified by it; however, for the Ilongots, headhunting was part of their culture and beliefs. To them, headhunting was a ritual of violence and a way of displaying manhood. Even though this practice may seem unjustifiable, we cannot judge it just based on our cultural beliefs. Indeed, it is difficult for us to understand the benefits of headhunting, as it may be difficult for Ilongots to comprehend our concept of war. Altogether, the concept of headhunting was part of the Ilongots’ culture and was perceived as normal; however, today we consider it to be horrific and perhaps …show more content…
Even though many people believe that the Ten Commandments are a good set of moral codes, it cannot be universalized because people still engage in adultery, murder, lying, dishonoring the mother and the father, and coveting others because in their cultures it is not considered wrong. In addition, cultural practices can be used to justify “wrong” behavior such as beheading. Terrorists do not behead because they think it is right or wrong, but because they want to strike terror into people. Undeniably, every culture has moral values that approve and limit people’s actions within that
To have a better understanding of how ethical systems are not universally …show more content…
To illustrate this idea, Rosaldo explains the beliefs of the Filipino hill tribe, the Ilongots, whose people were headhunters. When conceptualizing the word “headhunting,” we may be horrified by it; however, for the Ilongots, headhunting was part of their culture and beliefs. To them, headhunting was a ritual of violence and a way of displaying manhood. Even though this practice may seem unjustifiable, we cannot judge it just based on our cultural beliefs. Indeed, it is difficult for us to understand the benefits of headhunting, as it may be difficult for Ilongots to comprehend our concept of war. Altogether, the concept of headhunting was part of the Ilongots’ culture and was perceived as normal; however, today we consider it to be horrific and perhaps …show more content…
Even though many people believe that the Ten Commandments are a good set of moral codes, it cannot be universalized because people still engage in adultery, murder, lying, dishonoring the mother and the father, and coveting others because in their cultures it is not considered wrong. In addition, cultural practices can be used to justify “wrong” behavior such as beheading. Terrorists do not behead because they think it is right or wrong, but because they want to strike terror into people. Undeniably, every culture has moral values that approve and limit people’s actions within that