relativism
UK[ˈrɛl.ə.tɪ.vɪ.zəm]US[ˈrɛl.ə.t̬ɪ.vɪ.zəm]
n
The belief that knowledge, truth, and morality exist in relation to culture, society, or historical context, and are not absolute.
n
The doctrine that knowledge is relative to the limited nature of the mind and the conditions of knowing.
Morpheme Breakdown
relativ
ism
relativ
relative
ism
doctrine
Etymology
The philosophical term "relativism" is a modern construction, emerging in the 19th century from the core adjective "relative." This adjective traces back to the Latin relativus, meaning "having a relation or connection," derived from referre ("to carry back," hence to connect or relate). The suffix "-ism," borrowed from Greek via Latin, systematically converts this concept into a named school of thought. Thus, the literal building blocks—"relative" plus the "-ism" denoting a doctrine—combine to form the abstract concept signifying the theory that all elements of human thought, such as truth and ethics, are contingent upon and vary with their specific cultural, historical, or perceptual frameworks, rather than being universal absolutes.
Analysis
Structure: relativ (relative) + ism (doctrine)
relativ: From Latin relativus (having reference or relation), itself from relatus, the past participle of referre (to carry back, refer). In this word, it functions as the adjectival root meaning "relative to" or "dependent on a relation."
ism: A suffix of Greek origin (via Latin -ismus), used to form nouns indicating a distinctive doctrine, theory, system, or practice.
Examples
Cultural relativism argues that a person's beliefs and activities should be understood in the context of their own culture.
His philosophical stance shifted towards moral relativism after his extensive travels.
Critics of relativism often claim it leads to a denial of objective truth.