Cultural relativism Quote by Terry Eagleton
““In post-Nietzschean spirit, the West appears to be busily undermining its own erstwhile metaphysical foundations with an unholy mélange of practical materialism, political pragmatism, moral and cultural relativism, and philosophical skepticism.””
About This Quote
Source Book: The Idea of the West, 1990
The quote critiques contemporary Western culture for replacing deep metaphysical beliefs with a mix of materialism, pragmatism, relativism, and skepticism.
In simple terms: Western thought now mixes materialism, relativism, and skepticism.
Key Takeaway
Seek deeper meaning beyond superficial pragmatism.
Themes
Western culture
philosophy
materialism
relativism
Mood
critical
thought‑provoking
Type
philosophical
critical
When to use this quote
- academic discussion
- public discourse
- personal reflection
Key Concepts
metaphysics
cultural critique
Questions to Reflect On
- What values are lost in this shift?
- Can a new metaphysical foundation emerge?
A Different Perspective
Such mixing can erode shared values.
![“[Cultural relativism] licenses the envy of the untalented, giving rise to what has been called the revenge of failure: Those who cannot paint destroy the canons of painting; those who cannot write reject canonical literature.” quote by George Will](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/10e/george-will-1177_books_cultural-relativism-licenses-the-envy-of_246138.jpg)
