Value Reflection On Cultural Relativism

Originally, from the disgust against racism, cultural colonialism and from the compassion with the culture of less developed countries, some western scholars started the theory of Cultural Relativism, but in developing countries, the theory's significance has been changed: it shows less comprehension and respect on the basis of equality, but more exclusion and hatred. To some extent, for some thinking and doings in developing countries, cultural relativism becomes kind of theoretical basis for their narrow-minded conservation. In our nation, generally no direct abuse of the theory, but as an implication, it lies more or less in many specific views on cultural development. Obviously, this kind of view is one of the main obstacles blocking our nation's culture developing, especially the modernization of political culture. Besides, cultural relativism is kind of value-pluralism of cultural determinism, which may increasingly obstruct the world of worth which cherishes unconditional values.Based on the arrangement of the theory's origin, forming and development and the analysis on its subject matter, the dissertation firstly affirms its value as a kind of instrumental rationality, which, to a certain extent, corrects the theory of'western culture is optimal', and rejects the discourse hegemony from western world in the process of globalization. Then, the dissertation summarizes the internal problems of the theory and furthermore reflects intrinsic flaws and practical abuses from the view of value, and on the basis of this, the dissertation argues that to eliminate the abuses radically, awe toward absolute values must be restored, the supremacy of spiritual values must be protected and value axis based on absolute values must be reconstructed.Finally, combined with our nation's practical condition and based upon the above research results, the dissertation proposes several suggestions on how to treat other cultures in the process of cultural construction and how to ensure cultural safety in cultural communication.