relativism
|rel-a-tiv-ism|
🇺🇸
/ˈrɛləˌtɪvɪzəm/
🇬🇧
/ˈrɛlətɪvɪzəm/
no single absolute standard; depends on context
Etymology
'relativism' originates from English formation combining 'relative' + the suffix '-ism'; 'relative' itself comes from Latin 'relativus' (see below).
'relativus' (Latin) → Old French/Medieval Latin forms (e.g. 'relatif', 'relativus') → English 'relative' (Middle English) → modern English 'relativism' (formed by adding '-ism' in the 19th century to denote a doctrine).
Initially related to the idea of having a relation or being connected ('relative' meaning 'having relation'), it later came to denote doctrines or systems ('-ism') that emphasize the relativity of truth, value, or knowledge; the modern sense 'the doctrine that things are relative' developed by usage in philosophy and social sciences.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
the philosophical view that points of view have no absolute truth or validity but only relative, subjective value according to differences in perception and consideration.
Relativism argues that what is considered 'true' can vary between cultures and historical periods.
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Noun 2
moral relativism: the view that moral judgments and ethical standards are not universal but are shaped by cultural, societal, or individual perspectives.
Moral relativism holds that practices judged immoral in one society may be acceptable in another.
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Noun 3
cultural relativism: the anthropological principle that an individual's beliefs and activities should be understood in terms of that individual's own culture.
Anthropologists often invoke relativism to avoid judging other cultures by their own standards.
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Noun 4
epistemic or cognitive relativism: the idea that knowledge, truth, or justification are not absolute but depend on frameworks, languages, or conceptual schemes.
Some forms of epistemic relativism claim that different scientific paradigms can be incommensurable and yet internally valid.
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Last updated: 2025/10/13 23:29