back to ideas for this text


Single Idea 4243

[from 'Ethics and the Limits of Philosophy' by Bernard Williams, in 13. Knowledge Criteria / E. Relativism / 6. Relativism Critique ]

Full Idea

The fact that people can and must react when confronted with another culture, and do so by applying existing notions, seems to show that ethical thought of a given culture can always stretch beyond its boundaries.

Gist of Idea

Our ability to react to an alien culture shows that ethical thought extends beyond cultural boundaries

Source

Bernard Williams (Ethics and the Limits of Philosophy [1985], Ch. 9)

Book Reference

Williams,Bernard: 'Ethics and the Limits of Philosophy' [Fontana 1985], p.159


A Reaction

Hardly conclusive, but it does seem to show that there is an element of universalising in values, no matter how local you may consider them to be.