I think the difference in cultures between the Muslim world and America has a huge difference. The beliefs and morals that each culture possesses were all created for the same reason, to fulfill a happy and meaningfull life. Unfortunently the way in which these two cultures physically carry out their missions for morality aredrastically different. The Muslims beleive that the ultimate sacrifice one could make is to die for what they believe is right. Contrary to the Muslim beliefs, Americans often find doing well onto other people as a prime example of morality. I belive cultural relativism plays a large role in the differences in morals between countries. The Muslims suicide bomb buildings, and buses because thatis what there culture says is good or moral, so in turn they believe that what they are doing to other people is right. America was built upon freedom and the chance to do wahetever makes one happy but within the limits of upholding others right’s. Muslims seem to ignore American reasoning because of what their culture has instilled in them for so long.
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Jgar2089's Weblog 
September 7, 2008 at 12:56 pm
Your examples are provocative and interesting but I tend to think that they support moral objectivism instead of cultural relativism. Here’s why. You point out that each group has a different attitude toward certain actions, such as suicide (though we should be careful not to overgeneralize this particular attitude to all Muslims, as it is highly likely that it is only a rather extreme faction that actually holds these attitudes). But you also say that this disagreement rests on an agreement, namely that what is right is to lead a “happy and meaningful life”. What the two groups disagree about is just how this is to be done, which is more a disagreement about the way the world is than a disagreement about morality. This suggests that moral rules really are constant, and only their carrying out differs from culture to culture.
September 8, 2008 at 8:03 pm
I think that your example contains a bit of cultural relativism and moral objectivism. Each group has different ways of living and believe different things to be moral. This is the cultural relativism part. The overall message of living a “happy and meaningful life”, as stated above, shows that they have the same message. This is the moral objectivism part. I don’t think you can consider the example one or the other.
September 23, 2008 at 10:56 am
I agree 100% with you in your comparison between different morals of different countries. You bring up good points of the Muslims suicide bombers, and how in there culture that is considered good or moral. Also how America was built on freedom and how we believe that it is good to do whatever it takes to be free and happy, but with the exception of upholding others right’s.