This question has been around in world for thousands
of years. The answer according to James Rachels in The Challenge of Cultural Relativism is “Different cultures have
different moral codes.” And I completely agree with this statement. How can a custom of a different culture be considered
“incorrect” when “…every standard is culture-bound?” William Graham Sumner wrote,” The ‘right’ way
is the way which the ancestors used and which has been handed down.” There should be no superior culture but the
thinking that people had two hundred years ago, still has not changed.
When the first English settlers came over in 1607
they set out not only to find the Northwest Passage, but also to Europeanize
the Native Americans. They felt that
their European culture was the greatest culture, and the Natives were
considered “savages.” The Natives
believed in different Gods, instead of the one God, had different ways of
healing, ceremonial dances, and more.
Even today we still do not understand, or for the most part, nor want to
understand a different culture within our own borders. There is a term used towards people or
cultures that we do not fully understand, prejudice. When will we understand that there is no “universal
truth?”
What is an inferior culture? It’s a culture that we
do not know all the facts and make a general conclusion about and how we
compare it to our culture. Each culture
is different and believes that their customs are correct. It is about where you come from and the
traditions you are brought up by. Each
culture is one of many that believe they are superior. All cultures are equal,
we just have to learn about and fro them to fully understand them.
