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relativistic

relativistic

2 8.9
Thinking that truth and moral rules depend on people's views
  • adjective
  • /ˌrɛlətɪˈvɪstɪk/
: relativista
  • His approach to understanding morality was fundamentally relativistic, emphasizing that values vary between cultures.
  • relativistic thinking
  • relativistic stance
  • relativistic view

Well, but, and I think that's, I think the ethics have become over time, more and more relativistic.

Examples

  • The fifth problem is that honor is a relativistic standard.

    Academic text (2002)

  • When their professors addressed ethical or moral issues at all, relativistic ethics was the dominant message delivered by far.

    Academic text (2003)

  • Instead, you are telling people they must act in accordance with your relativistic outlook.

    Academic text (1999)

  • Inquiry does not, however, have the support of the American public because it suggests a relativistic philosophical position.

    Academic text (1995)

  • Thus, "postformal" thinking is considered to be relativistic and dialectical in nature.

    Academic text (2008)

  • Preparing for a STEM career requires a long-term commitment, which relativistic ethics does not easily support.

    Academic text (2013)

  • Executives who fail to define a personal ethic are likely to have a relativistic approach to ethical problem solving.

    Academic text (2002)

  • In accordance with my predictions, RWA was strongly associated with a rejection of the relativistic ethical stance.

    Academic text (1996)

  • At one end of the continuum, highly relativistic individuals espouse a personal moral philosophy based on skepticism.

    Academic text (1993)

  • Dialectical and relativistic thinking were positively correlated with creative performance, whereas formal thinking was negatively correlated.

    Academic text (2008)

Antonyms

absolutistic
1 9.9

Supporting total power for one person or group without limits

Compounds

relativistic mass
  • Specialized
1 9.9

The mass a moving object seems to have as its speed gets near the speed of light

Surface Forms

relativistic positive

Morphology

relativistic = relativism (transparent) = relativ + istic

The adjective is clearly formed to mean 'relating to relativism' (doctrine) by the adjective-forming suffix '-istic' applied to the relativ- stem.

Etymology

Relativistic comes from relative, which means 'not fixed' or 'depending on something else'. A helpful way to remember it is to think of a 'relative' in your family — their view may differ, so a relativistic idea says that truth or morals can change with viewpoint and are not always true.