relativism

relativism
a) The theory, especially in ethics or aesthetics, that conceptions of truth and moral values are not absolute but are relative to the persons or groups holding them.

Following Gilbert Harman’s lead, my own formulation of relativism about the normative domain was based on the classic examples of thoroughgoing relativisms drawn from physics.

b) A specific such theory, advocated by a particular philosopher or school of thought.

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  • Relativism — • A doctrine which denies, universally or in regard to some restricted sphere of being, the existence of absolute values Catholic Encyclopedia. Kevin Knight. 2006. Relativism     Relativism …   Catholic encyclopedia

  • relativism — RELATIVÍSM s.n. Doctrină care postulează relativitatea cunoştinţelor omeneşti, în sensul că nimic nu este absolut adevărat decât prin raportare la individ. ♦ Relativitate. – Din fr. relativisme. Trimis de RACAI, 22.11.2003. Sursa: DEX 98 … …   Dicționar Român

  • relativism — 1865, in philosophy, from RELATIVE (Cf. relative) + ISM (Cf. ism). Cf. RELATIVIST (Cf. relativist) …   Etymology dictionary

  • relativism — ► NOUN ▪ the doctrine that knowledge, truth, and morality exist in relation to culture, society, or historical context, and are not absolute. DERIVATIVES relativist noun …   English terms dictionary

  • relativism — [rel′ə tiviz΄əm] n. Philos. any theory of ethics or knowledge based on the idea that all values or judgments are relative, differing according to circumstances, persons, cultures, etc. relativist n. relativistic adj …   English World dictionary

  • Relativism — Compare moral relativism, aesthetic relativism, social constructionism, cultural relativism, and cognitive relativism. Relativism is the idea that some elements or aspects of experience or culture are relative to, i.e., dependent on, other… …   Wikipedia

  • relativism — The word relativism is used loosely to describe intellectual positions which reject absolute or universal standards or criteria. Thus, epistemological relativism is the view that there are no universal criteria of knowledge or truth. What counts… …   Dictionary of sociology

  • relativism — The permanently tempting doctrine that in some areas at least, truth itself is relative to the standpoint of the judging subject (‘beauty lies in the eye of the beholder’). The first classical statement is the doctrine of the Sophist Protagoras… …   Philosophy dictionary

  • Relativism — the view that the meaning and value of human beliefs and behaviors have no absolute reference. Relativists claim that humans understand and evaluate beliefs and behaviors only in terms of, for example, their historical and cultural context.… …   Mini philosophy glossary

  • relativism — [[t]re̱lətɪvɪzəm[/t]] N UNCOUNT Relativism is the belief that the truth is not always the same but varies according to circumstances. Traditionalists may howl, but in today s world, cultural relativism rules... Bennett launched a crusade for… …   English dictionary

  • relativism — /rel euh teuh viz euhm/, n. Philos. any theory holding that criteria of judgment are relative, varying with individuals and their environments. [1860 65; RELATIVE + ISM] * * * Any view that maintains that the truth or falsity of statements of a… …   Universalium

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