Relativism

by Baghramian,Maria

• ISBN13: 9780415161503
• ISBN10: 0415161509
• Format: Nonspecific Binding
• Copyright: 2004-09-24
• Publisher: Routledge

Summary

'It's all relative'. In a world of increasing cultural diversity, it can seem that everything is indeed relative. But should we concede that there is no such thing as right and wrong, and no objective truth? Can we reconcile relativism and pluralism?Relativism surveys the different varieties of relativism and the arguments for and against them, and examines why relativism has survived for two thousand years despite all the criticisms levelled against it.Beginning with a historical overview of relativism, from Pythagoras in ancient Greece to Derrida and postmodernism, Maria Baghramian explores the resurgence of relativism throughout the history of philosophy. She then turns to the arguments for and against the many subdivisions of relativism, including Kuhn and Feyerabend's ideas of relativism in science, Rorty's relativism about truth, and the conceptual relativism of Quine and Putnam. Baghramian questions whether moral relativism leads to moral indifference or even nihilism, and whether feminist epistemology's concerns about the very notion of objectivity can be considered a form of relativism. She concludes the relativism debate by assessing the recent criticisms such as Quine's argument from translation and Davidson's claim that even the motivations behind relativism are unintelligible. Finding these criticisms lacking, Baghramian proposes a moderate form of pluralism which addresses the legitimate worries that give rise to relativism without incurring charges of nihilism or anarchy.Relativism is essential reading for anyone interested in contemporary philosophy, sociology and politics.

Author Biography

Maria Baghramian is Senior Lecturer in Philosophy at University College Dublin.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgements	xiii
Introduction: the many faces of relativism	1	(1)
What is relativism?	2	(3)
Varieties of relativism	5	(4)
Why relativism?	9	(5)
The structure	14	(5)
Part I The history of an idea	19	(100)
The beginnings: relativism in classical philosophy	21	(29)
Introduction	21	(3)
The Protagorean doctrine	24	(6)
Plato's refutation of Protagoras	30	(6)
Aristotle's anti-relativism	36	(5)
Relativism and Pyrrhonian scepticism	41	(7)
Conclusion	48	(2)
Relativism in modern philosophy	50	(33)
Introduction	50	(1)
Relativism in early modern philosophy	51	(3)
The Cartesian impact	54	(1)
Relativism and empiricism	55	(3)
Relativism and the French Enlightenment	58	(5)
Kant and the changing aspect of relativism	63	(3)
Relativism and the Counter-Enlightenment	66	(5)
Relativism and nineteenth-century historicism	71	(4)
Nietzsche's perspectivism	75	(7)
Conclusion	82	(1)
Contemporary sources of relativism	83	(36)
Introduction	83	(1)
Erosion of old certainties	83	(5)
Cultural relativism	88	(10)
Wittgenstein's influence	98	(6)
Postmodernism	104	(13)
Conclusion	117	(2)
Part II Varieties of relativism	119	(202)
Relativism about truth	121	(31)
Introduction	121	(3)
Subjectivism	124	(4)
Strong alethic relativism	128	(4)
The self-refutation argument	132	(4)
The counter-argument	136	(6)
Restricted alethic relativism	142	(2)
Problematising truth	144	(7)
Conclusion	151	(1)
Relativism and rationality	152	(28)
Introduction	152	(3)
Relativism about logic	155	(4)
Rationality, logic and cultural variability	159	(6)
Logic and intelligibility	165	(3)
Rationality and justification	168	(3)
Rationality and evolution	171	(1)
Irrationality and cognitive pluralism	172	(5)
Moderate relativism and context-dependence	177	(2)
Conclusion	179	(1)
Epistemic relativism	180	(32)
Introduction	180	(2)
Relativism about science	182	(2)
Paradigms and revolutions	184	(4)
Science as anarchy	188	(3)
Relativism and incommensurability	191	(8)
Muted epistemic relativism	199	(6)
Feminist epistemology and relativism	205	(6)
Conclusion	211	(1)
Conceptual relativism	212	(33)
Introduction	212	(2)
Scheme-content dualism	214	(4)
Historical background	218	(4)
Quine's ontological relativity	222	(7)
Goodman's many worlds	229	(6)
Putnam's conceptual relativity	235	(6)
Relativism: conceptual and cultural	241	(2)
Conclusion	243	(2)
Relativism, interpretation and charity	245	(25)
Introduction	245	(1)
Logic in translation	246	(4)
Truth, meaning and charity	250	(3)
The limits of charity	253	(6)
Conceptual schemes and languages	259	(4)
Rationality and humanity	263	(4)
Conclusion	267	(3)
Moral relativism	270	(33)
Introduction	270	(4)
Naive moral relativism	274	(4)
Normative ethical relativism	278	(3)
Metaethical relativism and naturalism	281	(8)
Incommensurability and cultural distance	289	(5)
Relativism and pluralism	294	(8)
Conclusion	302	(1)
Conclusion: relativism, pluralism and diversity	303	(18)
Introduction (and conclusion)	303	(1)
Conceptual pluralism	304	(3)
Three criticisms	307	(7)
Schemes, maps and other pluralities	314	(7)
Notes	321	(16)
Bibliography	337	(22)
Index	359