Relative behavior is interpreting sense experience from all available angles. Realizing that absolute behavior, however brutal, is like being Mental Junkie (ready to kill to prevent change; Western World profiteers like emotionless money-junks exploit third worlds). Killing Mental Junks to become one yourself doesn't work. Some Western dead to satisfy severely hurt moods because of millions of dead and endless frustration in Africa, South-America, Asia and Eastern-Europe SEEMS inevitable though. Relative behavior is using quite physical 'Artistic Eyes' and 'Doppler effect eyes' in every sensed dimension. I'll respond to frequent Western World worries (what about Law and Order?) and misconceptions ("relativism invites terrorism"). For me cultural relativism is unprejudiced curiosity and readiness to change, both from the rigid Western World Paradigm in 'recession' and suppressed worlds. not going on with conflict behavior (DUAL), but acting as ONE super-family in serious trouble. That's asking a lot, but is to start change. Cultural Relativism is NOT about 'right' and 'wrong', 'good' and 'evil', or 'normal' and 'terrorist'. Cultural Relativism is the natural ritual behavior 'common sense' aimed at leaving rigid standpoints. Cultural Relativism is not like egoist zombies fighting War on Terrorism to annihilate selfinvented conflict. Doctrine zombies destroy earth with ritual exploitation. Fundamental worshippers of the ritual 'Law and Order' prefer severe PUNISHMENTS (they ask for War on Terrorism to restore 'the way of God'= order) ). Interesting angry quote: if the advocates of cultural relativism had their way, there would be no rational mind, no God, ... but undifferentiated mediocrity and tyranny. Considering 'rational mind' = 'god' and 'no rational mind' = 'tyranny'. Cultural Relativism (emotions between 'happiness' and 'sadness'; behavior) is found in 'soul music', in 'blues' and in 'jazz'. Behavior is local reality in ritual, but when behavior gets closed (a local 'swamp) then at some point this local closed circle reality implies locally culturally 'bad weather' until becoming part of a growing reality.

Sick Misconception : relativism is 'laissez faire'

Common Sense 'relativism' means not using swamps as public swimming pools, and 'swamp-life' movements feel ignored 'rationally'.

Basic misconception 1: values HAVE to be fixed

Values are multimensional objects (have MANY interpretations).

Example 1: A person might seem 'terrorist' when looking through a 'rational' filter. But in helicopterview that same person suddenly seems a freedom fighter desperately fighting for life. The behavior didn't change, but people who considered angry Muslims to be terrorists (Western World thinkers) might be shocked that other people are dead sure they're 'freedom fighters'. Example 2: Because of disability I cannot speak and drive a wheelchair. I was completely pissed by the behavior of some boys. They every day returned playing football on the lawn before my room. Every 10 minutes a ball hit my window, and that inside sounds like an explosion. Everytime I drop things on the floor. To me those boys appeared as nasty and not willing to listen. After 1 of their mothers told them that they can read what I'm saying on my mini-computer, these kids appeared to be friendly and understanding.

'Rational' Crime Scene Investigation only results in 'rational' conclusions.

Basic misconception 2: Rational Philosophy is the ONLY way of thinking about reality

TRUE is a rational notion, in falsification treated as ALL of Truth.
As if rational truths cannot be denied.

Basic misconception 3: Rational Reasons are valid outside Rational Logic

Every logic is a way to translate sense experiences into sense. It has its own local truth.

Basic misconception 4: Reality should be divided in good and evil

Good and Evil or TRUE and FALSE are dependent of the logic. Reality is one unity.

Basic misconception 5: Laws should be absolute

Rules should be clear to the users. But Rules that are destructive don't accept that local truth might change. What if The Rules had given a death sentence to Nelson Mandela?

Basic misconception 6: There is no Common Sense

Of course there is a common sense. That common sense says: - Torturing is translating own view in brutal force. Terrorism is a relative notion. - Rape is seen in many animal cultures. But respect seems a natural notion. - Human sacrifice or hunting animals is waste of valueble members of life. - The suicide bombers of September 11 one way made sense. Because daily 25.000 people in poor worlds are dying, and western leaders not really seem to care. BUT the act itself, though very useful through shocking US virtual reality, was disrespect of life. BUT answering such acts of violence that resulted from utter despair with war on terrorism is showing that even such violence did not shock you from addictive virtual reality back into common sense reality.

A common misconception (you could call it a relative truth). Relativism is about preferences

Preferences explain differences between members that use the same way of thinking. They can hardly be called essential, and they treat things like: '"y favorite color is red".

When I use a word , Humpty Dumpty said in rather a scornful tone, it means just what I choose it to mean ---neither more nor less.

Humpty Dumpty is a nice guy and can use whatever kind of voice he prefers, but maybe can give a clue what mood gives him the word 'democracy'. Or does he think it should raise only 1 mood? And if that is too difficult, take the saying "I'm feeling cold". Maybe the temperature gives Eskimo's a pleasant mood. Any single preference is absolute, but everybody know that the expression 'feeling cold' triggers moods depending of the person.

Because preferences are not making any difference as to what you think, 'nobody worries about favorite colors or taste. Neither does in essence your language, though languages often mirror system of thought (cultures)

It only means relativists do not SEEK discussion, but try to invent new concepts for communication. To convince even the most hardheaded members of the closed circle 'Western Rationalism' (and included the circle 'Modern Empiricism')

Any criticism is respected by a true relativist. But that does NOT mean that it is accepted

Take the relative statements: Osama bin Laden is a terrorist/freedom fighter. Then you might realize the outcome is culture dependent. And also history dependent, because Nelson Mandela 'changed' without change from a terrorist in a respected freedom fighter.

Fantasies and myths might be more cultural than expected. But cultural relativism is like physical relativity: looking to an experience using another than expected angle.

This Western misconception is caused by the myth that 'science' is 'value free'. 'Science' is Aristotelian ethics refined by 'catholicism' and 'rationalism'.
Be glad relativism looks at 'things' from other angles than 'science'. Otherway you severely risk getting stuck.

A counter question: Did Einstein's theory of Relativity make physics personal? Social Science will be demasked as a mis-move in evolution using dubious basics, but why should social change make social ethics personal?

Relativism shows that there are uncountable laws each having a limitless number of 'orders'.
All earth cultures are based on common sense, that means that there is mutual common over all these cultures (like everybody senses). And that means that this mutual common sense is a perfect tool for deciding what behavior is most useful.
The notion 'terrorism' is culture dependent. Mutual common sense 'says' that killing innocent people is murder.

Criticists of Relativism like fanatic members of a fundamentalist religion (puritans) believe that they can clean their spirits with the admittal that their presumption was wrong. Then you have a human with a clean spirit (UFO are claimed to be observed, but NOBODY ever saw a 'spirit' animal), but still with dirty hands.
Any criticism might be only based on a local truth, but then it is presumed that it's owners did a considerable effort (other than dropping bombs) to find a more general truth. And are open for changes. Accepting to be corrected is 'cheap': sorry blacks are not more stupid than whites. I must have been wrong, and using my mistaken personal fantasies stimulated my zombies to kill a few blacks. That way you take the right to think and say anything you want. Without regard of the consequences. That is hiding after 'freedom of speech'. This right might be part of U.S ethics and law, but that is denying the reality of ideas. Your freedom of speech caused murder. Often using force in a desperate fight for own rights against 'official' armies is called 'anarchy' or 'terrorism'. Creativity needs borders, because strict 'freedom of speech' is allowing chaos in evolution, instead of steering towards ever greater structured complexity.

China.org describes cultural relativism as: the ability to view the beliefs and customs of other peoples within the context of their culture rather than one's own [for instance the culture 'science']
The Mohammedan version of Islam is dubious in power-thinking and slavery practices (Koran Islam). But original Islam was peaceful and open minded (Mekka Islam).
The Roman version of Christianity is dubious in power-thinking and 'economic' slavery practices, but original Zoroastrian Christianity (Judah Christianity) was peaceful and open minded.
The Israel version of Hebrew religion is dubious in power-thinking and 'economic' slavery practices, but the Gentiles were open minded and peaceful.
Take care: the 'Gentiles' were a branch following disciple Paul as prophet, a kind of compromisers between Judah Christianity and Roman rule.
Go to these site for a serious treatment of world history and Relativism

Zarah II, August 2003 and kept up to date until present, the Netherlands