Relativism

In Our Time: Philosophy

BBC

History

4.5 • 1.3K Ratings

🗓️ 19 January 2006

⏱️ 28 minutes

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Summary

Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss relativism, a philosophy of shifting sands. "Today, a particularly insidious obstacle to the task of educating is the massive presence in our society and culture of that relativism which, recognizing nothing as definitive, leaves as the ultimate criterion only the self with its desires. And under the semblance of freedom it becomes a prison for each one, for it separates people from one another, locking each person into his or her own 'ego'." Pope Benedict XVI, in a speech given in June 2005, showed that the issue of relativism is as contentious today as it was in Ancient Greece, when Plato took on the relativist stance of Protagoras and the sophists. Relativism is a school of philosophical thought which holds to the idea that there are no absolute truths. Instead, truth is situated within different frameworks of understanding that are governed by our history, culture and critical perspective. Why has relativism so radically divided scholars and moral custodians over the centuries? How have its supporters answered to criticisms that it is inherently unethical? And if there are universal standards such as human rights, how do relativists defend culturally specific practices such as honour killings or female infanticide? With Barry Smith, Senior Lecturer in Philosophy at Birkbeck College, University of London; Jonathan Rée, freelance philosopher who holds visiting professorships at the Royal College of Art and Roehampton University; Kathleen Lennon, Senior Lecturer in Philosophy at the University of Hull.

Transcript

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0:00.0	Thanks for down learning the In Our Time podcast. For more details about In Our Time and for our terms of use, please go to BBC.co.uk.
0:10.0	I hope you enjoy the program.
0:12.0	Hello and I quote,
0:14.0	today a particularly insidious obstacle to the task of educating
0:18.0	is the massive presence in our society and culture.
0:21.0	That of relativism, which recognizing nothing as definitive leaves as the ultimate
0:26.3	criteria only the self with its desires, and under the semblance of freedom it becomes a prison
0:31.8	for each one, for it separates people from one another
0:34.1	locking each person into his or her ego that's Pope Benedict the 16th and a speech given
0:39.7	last June showing that the issue of relativism is as contentious today as it was in ancient
0:44.8	Greece when Plato took on the relativist stance of protagonist.
0:48.0	Relativism is a school of political thought which holds the idea that there are no absolute truths. Instead, truth is
0:55.3	situated within different frameworks of understanding that are governed by our
0:58.6	history, our culture and critical perspective. Why has relativism so radically divided scholars and
1:04.7	moral custodians over the centuries? How have its supporters answered the criticism
1:09.1	that is inherently unethical and have we lost all contact with transcendental philosophy or
1:14.4	absolute truth, good and bad, right and wrong? With me to discuss relativism at
1:18.6	Barry Smith, Senior Lecture in Philosophy at Birkbeck College London, Kathleen Lennon, Senior Lecture in Philosophy at Bergbeck College London.
1:22.7	Cataline Lennon, senior lecture in Philosophy at the University of Hull,
1:26.1	and Jonathan Ray, freelance philosopher and historian.
1:29.2	Paris Smith, can you define relativism for us?
1:31.6	Yes, let me start by suggesting that relativism is a doctrine
	...

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