---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Suppose a student of mine writes in her…"
description: "\"Suppose a student of mine writes in her exam that \"morality is completely relative to culture, so nothing is absolutely right or wrong. Because of that..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1c7/nomy-arpaly-21717_believe_suppose-a-student-of-mine-writes-in-her_1052531.jpg"
---

#  Suppose a student of mine writes in her exam that…

![“Suppose a student of mine writes in her exam that &quot;morality is completely relative to culture, so nothing is absolutely right or wrong. Because of that, it is absolutely wrong to be culturally intolerant&quot;. This student, if she believes what she writes, believes a contradiction. She ought not to…” quote by Nomy Arpaly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1c7/nomy-arpaly-21717_believe_suppose-a-student-of-mine-writes-in-her_1052531.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1c7/nomy-arpaly-21717_believe_suppose-a-student-of-mine-writes-in-her_1052531.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1c7/nomy-arpaly-21717_believe_suppose-a-student-of-mine-writes-in-her_1052531.jpg)

> “Suppose a student of mine writes in her exam that "morality is completely relative to culture, so nothing is absolutely right or wrong. Because of that, it is absolutely wrong to be culturally intolerant". This student, if she believes what she writes, believes a contradiction. She ought not to believe the contradiction - it's a basic epistemic norm. This is true even if she can't avoid believing it - no amount of studying will show her the light.”

[Nomy Arpaly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nomy-arpaly/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Points out a logical inconsistency in cultural relativism that claims both moral relativism and intolerance are wrong, highlighting a basic epistemic norm.

**In simple terms:** Identifies a contradiction in claiming moral relativism while condemning intolerance.

Key Takeaway

Recognize and resolve logical contradictions in moral reasoning.

Themes

ethics relativism logic epistemology

Mood

thoughtful critical

Type

philosophical educational

When to use this quote

- academic debate
- ethical education
- personal belief assessment

Key Concepts

moral philosophy critical thinking cognitive dissonance

Questions to Reflect On

- Can one truly be culturally tolerant while denying absolute moral standards?
- What strategies help resolve such contradictions?

A Different Perspective

People may cling to contradictory beliefs despite evidence.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Contradiction](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/contradiction/) [Culture](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/culture/) [Exam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/exam/) [Morality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/morality/) [Right or wrong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/right-or-wrong/) [Students](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/students/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/)

## Related quotes

> [I'm drinking away the exam results that don't take me anywhere.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-herrick/i-m-drinking-away-the-exam-results-that-don-t-take-me-anywhere/)

[Steven Herrick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-herrick/)

> [I did not like prizes at school. I didn't like tests or exams, or the 11+, or O-levels. Later I hated B.A.s and M.A.s.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-childish/i-did-not-like-prizes-at-school-i-didn-t-like-tests-or-exams-or-the/)

[Billy Childish](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-childish/)

> [“They say life is a test and this is a ridiculous idea! There is neither examination nor examinant! You encounter problems in life either…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mehmet-murat-ildan/they-say-life-is-a-test-and-this-is-a-ridiculous-idea-there-is/)

[Mehmet Murat ildan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mehmet-murat-ildan/)

> [Right now, for instance, we resist giving people extra time on exams or for assignments, as though it's unfair to the faster students.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/l-todd-rose/right-now-for-instance-we-resist-giving-people-extra-time-on-exams-or/)

[L. Todd Rose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/l-todd-rose/)

> [I remember when I came out of an exam thinking I had done well and then I had a clue that maybe one answer…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abbas-kiarostami/i-remember-when-i-came-out-of-an-exam-thinking-i-had-done-well-and/)

[Abbas Kiarostami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abbas-kiarostami/)

> [To apply for a gifted program, children as young as 4 are required to sit through hour-long verbal exams.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hanna-rosin/to-apply-for-a-gifted-program-children-as-young-as-4-are-required-to/)

[Hanna Rosin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hanna-rosin/)

> [One of the leading causes of divorce is sexual incompatibility. Why not mandate premarital sex, overseen, of course, by the Marriage Board to ensure…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-rosen/one-of-the-leading-causes-of-divorce-is-sexual-incompatibility-why/)

Mike Rosen

> [“one of those nightmares where it’s the final exam for a course”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-kreider/one-of-those-nightmares-where-it-s-the-final-exam-for-a-course/)

[Tim Kreider](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-kreider/)

> [Please, God,' Ruth would pray, 'don't let me be competitive. Let me realize what a privilege it is to study. Let me remember that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eva-ibbotson/please-god-ruth-would-pray-don-t-let-me-be-competitive-let-me-realize/)

[Eva Ibbotson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eva-ibbotson/)

> [I was thrown out of college for cheating on the metaphysics exam; I looked into the soul of the boy sitting next to me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/woody-allen/i-was-thrown-out-of-college-for-cheating-on-the-metaphysics-exam-i/)

[Woody Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/woody-allen/)

> [I flunked my exam for university two times before I was accepted by what was considered my city's worst university, Hangzhou Teachers University. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-ma/i-flunked-my-exam-for-university-two-times-before-i-was-accepted-by/)

[Jack Ma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-ma/)

> [I didn't go to university. They offered me a job as a junior reporter and I went off to work for the Southern Reporter.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jill-douglas/i-didn-t-go-to-university-they-offered-me-a-job-as-a-junior-reporter/)

[Jill Douglas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jill-douglas/)

> [Life is the most difficult exam. Many tend to fail in it copying others not realizing that each one has a different question paper.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nishan-panwar/life-is-the-most-difficult-exam-many-tend-to-fail-in-it-copying/)

[Nishan Panwar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nishan-panwar/)

> [Poems come from ordinary experiences and objects, I think. Out of memory - a dress I lent my daughter on her way back to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sharon-olds/poems-come-from-ordinary-experiences-and-objects-i-think-out-of/)

[Sharon Olds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sharon-olds/)

> [For any exam in history, here is the answer: all human history is the struggle between systems that attempt to shackle the human personality…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-stein/for-any-exam-in-history-here-is-the-answer-all-human-history-is-the/)

[Ben Stein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-stein/)

## More by Nomy Arpaly

> [I am an atheist. I don't think there's anything divine. Beautiful, impressive, awe-inspiring - sure, but not divine.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nomy-arpaly/i-am-an-atheist-i-don-t-think-there-s-anything-divine-beautiful/)

[Nomy Arpaly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nomy-arpaly/)

> [Other things being equal, ill will is worse than moral indifference (as in causing suffering for money vs causing suffering to cause suffering), though…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nomy-arpaly/other-things-being-equal-ill-will-is-worse-than-moral-indifference-as/)

[Nomy Arpaly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nomy-arpaly/)

> [Duties concern things that are voluntary. I do think that if you have a moral duty to bring me back the book you borrowed,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nomy-arpaly/duties-concern-things-that-are-voluntary-i-do-think-that-if-you-have/)

[Nomy Arpaly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nomy-arpaly/)

> [Sometimes I suspect that there are two prototypes of philosophers who write about humans - I call them "celestials" and "terrestrials", without implying that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nomy-arpaly/sometimes-i-suspect-that-there-are-two-prototypes-of-philosophers-who/)

[Nomy Arpaly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nomy-arpaly/)

> [When you find yourself reluctant to sit on a chair because it had unexpectedly collapsed in the past you might shake your head and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nomy-arpaly/when-you-find-yourself-reluctant-to-sit-on-a-chair-because-it-had/)

[Nomy Arpaly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nomy-arpaly/)

> [If I make a stupid decision but don't execute it because I'm, say, lazy, then I'm lucky, not rational. However, at other times a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nomy-arpaly/if-i-make-a-stupid-decision-but-don-t-execute-it-because-i-m-say-lazy/)

[Nomy Arpaly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nomy-arpaly/)

> [If I am told my loving you had to happen because of some Freudian stuff about my childhood, that might be degrading or deflationary,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nomy-arpaly/if-i-am-told-my-loving-you-had-to-happen-because-of-some-freudian/)

[Nomy Arpaly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nomy-arpaly/)

> [I am not committed in any way to the traditional concept of character - the concept of "character trait" as involving predictable behavior. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nomy-arpaly/i-am-not-committed-in-any-way-to-the-traditional-concept-of-character/)

[Nomy Arpaly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nomy-arpaly/)

> [I don't think any of my desires or beliefs or other mental states are external to me. Many people will occasionally feel alienated from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nomy-arpaly/i-don-t-think-any-of-my-desires-or-beliefs-or-other-mental-states-are/)

[Nomy Arpaly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nomy-arpaly/)

> [Incompatibilists will tell you that a work of art has no meaning unless the artists could have chosen to create a different one, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nomy-arpaly/incompatibilists-will-tell-you-that-a-work-of-art-has-no-meaning/)

[Nomy Arpaly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nomy-arpaly/)

> [Though we think intrinsic desires tend to be pretty stable, we do not think they imply anything like the amount of predictability in behavior…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nomy-arpaly/though-we-think-intrinsic-desires-tend-to-be-pretty-stable-we-do-not/)

[Nomy Arpaly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nomy-arpaly/)

> [I don't think we are all irrational every time we fail to see through an argument in a book, but suppose it's true about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nomy-arpaly/i-don-t-think-we-are-all-irrational-every-time-we-fail-to-see-through/)

[Nomy Arpaly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nomy-arpaly/)

> [I think it's ok to have wishes that conflict with each other - it's irrational to try to make them both come true, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nomy-arpaly/i-think-it-s-ok-to-have-wishes-that-conflict-with-each-other-it-s/)

[Nomy Arpaly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nomy-arpaly/)

> [When I see two owls and then two more owls and conclude that I see four owls, I am responding to reasons, and it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nomy-arpaly/when-i-see-two-owls-and-then-two-more-owls-and-conclude-that-i-see/)

[Nomy Arpaly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nomy-arpaly/)

> [The fact that only humans above a certain age can be morally virtuous, rather than babies or cats, means that that being moral requires…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nomy-arpaly/the-fact-that-only-humans-above-a-certain-age-can-be-morally-virtuous/)

[Nomy Arpaly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nomy-arpaly/)

[Explore all 28 Nomy Arpaly quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nomy-arpaly/)

## More Believe quotes

> [I actually think acting is a form of self-hypnosis. You have to be hyper, hyper aware of what's going on around you. You have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julianne-moore/i-actually-think-acting-is-a-form-of-self-hypnosis-you-have-to-be/)

[Julianne Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julianne-moore/)

> [Some people still believe you should just fall in line with what's going on - and that's scary. It makes a mockery of freedom…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-robison/some-people-still-believe-you-should-just-fall-in-line-with-what-s/)

[Emily Robison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-robison/)

> [The truth seems to be that propaganda on its own cannot force its way into unwilling minds; neither can it inculcate something wholly new;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-hoffer/the-truth-seems-to-be-that-propaganda-on-its-own-cannot-force-its-way/)

[Eric Hoffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-hoffer/)

> [Resist discouragement by speaking His Word over your future. Keep standing. Keep hoping; keep believing because He is working behind the scenes. He's going…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-osteen/resist-discouragement-by-speaking-his-word-over-your-future-keep/)

[Joel Osteen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-osteen/)

> [I can't believe that I'm sitting in meetings with Steven Spielberg, Tom Hanks, and Annette Bening. I want to take on that responsibility to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-ross-williams/i-can-t-believe-that-i-m-sitting-in-meetings-with-steven-spielberg/)

[Roger Ross Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-ross-williams/)

> [There is no such word as item girl in the dictionary. People have created this word and I don't believe that I am an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shefali-zariwala/there-is-no-such-word-as-item-girl-in-the-dictionary-people-have/)

[Shefali Zariwala](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shefali-zariwala/)

> [I understand that it's the music that keeps me alive... That's my lifeblood. And to give that up for, like, the TV, the cars,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-springsteen/i-understand-that-it-s-the-music-that-keeps-me-alive-that-s-my/)

[Bruce Springsteen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-springsteen/)

> [I don't really like too much credit. I know nobody's going to believe this, but I'd rather be able to score goals and nobody…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bradley-wright-phillips/i-don-t-really-like-too-much-credit-i-know-nobody-s-going-to-believe/)

[Bradley Wright-Phillips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bradley-wright-phillips/)

> [“What I have a problem with is not so much religion or god, but faith. When you say you believe something in your heart…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/penn-jillette/what-i-have-a-problem-with-is-not-so-much-religion-or-god-but-faith/)

[Penn Jillette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/penn-jillette/)

> [Bush reiterated his stand to conservatives opposing his decision on stem cell research. He said today he believes life begins at conception and ends…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-leno/bush-reiterated-his-stand-to-conservatives-opposing-his-decision-on/)

[Jay Leno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-leno/)

> [Never underestimate the power of the human mind to believe what it wants to believe, no matter the conflicting evidence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-herbert/never-underestimate-the-power-of-the-human-mind-to-believe-what-it/)

[Brian Herbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-herbert/)

> [To believe in love, to be ready to give up anything for it, to be willing to risk your life for it, is the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonardo-dicaprio/to-believe-in-love-to-be-ready-to-give-up-anything-for-it-to-be/)

[Leonardo DiCaprio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonardo-dicaprio/)

> [That's why I don't generally talk about endorsements because I don't believe we have to tell people who to vote for.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-iii/that-s-why-i-don-t-generally-talk-about-endorsements-because-i-don-t/)

[Martin Luther King III](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-iii/)

> [Mankind have been slow to believe that order reigns in the universe-that the world is a cosmos and a chaos.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-a-garfield/mankind-have-been-slow-to-believe-that-order-reigns-in-the-universe/)

[James A. Garfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-a-garfield/)

> [We instantly believe everything we think. Isn't that insane? It's good for us to explore the depravity of our minds, so we know we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/krishna-das/we-instantly-believe-everything-we-think-isn-t-that-insane-it-s-good/)

[Krishna Das](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/krishna-das/)

Browse all 47,704 Believe quotes

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "Suppose a student of mine writes in her exam that \"morality is completely relative to culture, so nothing is absolutely right or wrong. Because of that, it is absolutely wrong to be culturally intolerant\". This student, if she believes what she writes, believes a contradiction. She ought not to believe the contradiction - it's a basic epistemic norm. This is true even if she can't avoid believing it - no amount of studying will show her the light.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Nomy Arpaly"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nomy-arpaly/suppose-a-student-of-mine-writes-in-her-exam-that-morality-is/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Believe"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nomy-arpaly/suppose-a-student-of-mine-writes-in-her-exam-that-morality-is/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1c7/nomy-arpaly-21717_believe_suppose-a-student-of-mine-writes-in-her_1052531.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1c7/nomy-arpaly-21717_believe_suppose-a-student-of-mine-writes-in-her_1052531.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1c7/nomy-arpaly-21717_believe_suppose-a-student-of-mine-writes-in-her_1052531.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“Suppose a student of mine writes in her exam that \"morality is completely relative to culture, so nothing is…” — Nomy Arpaly",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Nomy Arpaly",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nomy-arpaly/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "Suppose a student of mine writes...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nomy-arpaly/suppose-a-student-of-mine-writes-in-her-exam-that-morality-is/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nomy-arpaly/suppose-a-student-of-mine-writes-in-her-exam-that-morality-is/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
