Benedict’s ” A Defense of Moral Relativism”

The most interesting part of the article to me was the story of the Kwakiutl. The fact that they believe that they can take someone else’s life because they lost one of their own is pretty astonishing. Now personally, it is not that I think this act is right but I do feel like it is something that I can not really contradict. The truth is, this tribe does not know any better than to do the norm and to follow tradition. Many cultures have different traditions and the beauty of this world is the diversity we have obtained over the years. Yes, the tradition that the Kwakiutl practice is to me, wrong. Yet, I feel like to them it is not wrong because like I mentioned, they do not know any better.

Therefore, when we discussed in class about universally wrong versus personally wrong, a lot of thoughts came to my head. As I sat there and looked at the list before me, I realized that there really is not a thing as universally wrong. I mean that in the way that I don’t think there is one sole thing that every human being on this planet will agree is wrong. So, if that is the case, don’t all concept’s go under personally wrong? In reality, even though we are all the same, we do tend to always differ in opinion, and we are all raised in a certain way.

I did a bit of personal research. I asked my father if he thinks that there is one thing that all human beings can agree on that is universally wrong. He didn’t think of anything except for his ideas of personal wrongs like money and abortion. He believes that money is wrong because it has become the destruction of this world. Many would disagree with him. Also, he believes that abortion is absolutely wrong unless the fetus is from rape or involves risking the mother’s life. Many are pro-choice. I feel like a right or wrong varies within each person. Mostly because, I believe that none of us know what we are really capable of until we are tested.