The basic idea of ethical relativism is that there is
nothing that is absolutely ethical or unethical. Instead, actions are ethical or
unethical only in a given context. Usually, this context is a cultural one. To someone
who believes in ethical relativism, an action is only ethical or unethical if the
ethical values of a given culture say it is.
In this way of
thinking, there is no such thing as an absolute moral truth that holds for all people in
all societies. It is not correct, for example, to say that women have certain rights
that must be protected in all ethical societies. Instead, we can say that actions that
would be considered abusive in the United States (denying women the right to drive or to
make most decisions without a male guardian's approval) can be perfectly ethical in
Saudi Arabia because that society has a different moral and ethical set of
standards.
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