Research Paper on:
Relativism and Universal Values

Unformatted Sample Text from the Research Paper:
of the starship Enterprise. Never mind that Star Trek is a work of fiction. What is important is that the prime directive that supposedly guarantees that the voyagers and explorers  will not contaminate another culture with their ideas of right and wrong (or relativism) is the same rule that they seem to break each week in syndication. They do interfere,  they do judge right from wrong, and in the end, their prime directive is primly roasted. This does beg the question, does it not? Is it possible for universal values  to escape the charge of being culturally relative themselves? Or do they even have to? Some would say, No. Pure relativism would see a clash of ideas which would continually  place man at war with his neighbors. Perhaps, in the beginning of mankinds history, relativism was possible due to isolationism of the various villages and settlements. However, as more and  more groups came into contact with one another, what was acceptable for one group was not acceptable for another and those with the most influence, numbers, or might, were deemed  to be the ones worthy of establishing the rules for accepted behavior. Therefore, relativism, may be a very rare commodity these days, indeed. Quite possibly what has saved mankinds  proverbial bacon, is the fact that most humans share common basic needs and desires which, for the most part, they fulfill in much the same way. Universalism claims that most  people will develop similar ways of providing shelter, food, clothing for their family and for themselves. However, this is where culture comes into play, and where universalism goes out the  door. How, then, asks Martha Nussbaum in her essay, Women and Cultural Universals, will womens rights be helped or hindered as the world becomes more global and ways of interacting