By Paul Weiser
An overarching doctrine of modern sociology - cultural relativism - commands allegiance from all other disciplines. Yet if we examine it honestly we find that cultural relativism cannot stand the test of even its contemporary doctrine of evolution - much less that of practical utility.
Cultural relativism holds that no human culture is better than any other. As a corollary, it derides Western civilization - the only culture which has ever developed cultural relativism - as morally inferior to all others because it established hegemony over them. Since such doctrine implicitly eschews moral distinctions, it’s apparent from the start that we’re dealing here with nonsense on really tall stilts.
Cultures evolve, each to survive in its own particular formative environment. Though such evolution is Lamarckian rather than Darwinian, i.e. the product of experience rather than random mutation, in the long run the processes function similarly: only cultures that work survive. But as with Darwinian evolution, cultural evolution does not produce the best choices, only a set that works locally.
When environments merge, cultures clash. In the end, one - with possible appropriations from the other - predominates. This is similar to environment-merge saltation in animal evolution: successful invaders extinguish the local competition. Just so Western civilization, enabled by its technology to merge the entire planet into its environment, has established cultural hegemony (with less slaughter than dingoes wreaked on Australia, or Arabs on Africa).
The problem for sociologists is that the dominant culture can pick and choose amusing or useful practices from those it dominates. But the local cultures cannot demand retention of anything - not their religion, language or marriage practices - for these are intrinsically maladapted to the new environment. Cultural relativism is thus intrinsically false, as evidenced by the very fact of Western hegemony it so detests.
None of Your Lib (NOLIB) is a weekly column, appearing
each Monday. Email responses and requests
to Paul Weiser
- be sure to specify in the body of the message that
your mail is to NOLIB. Some past articles are in the
NOLIB archives, and you are also invited to
visit
my home page. All responses
are appreciated,
and may be incorporated into succeeding columns in whole
or in part unless the sender requests otherwise. And of
course, the opinions expressed are those of the columnist and
may
not reflect the views or opinions of gte.net.