can all cultures be considered equal?

Question

can a culture such as middle eastern, asian or african be compared with the western cutures that has evolved towards humanism, democracy, and freedom for all its people?

Answer 1

They're all humans so they're my equals

Answer 2

I would probably avoid trying to say why one culture is "better" than another, although I think it is fair and wise to assess the strengths and weaknesses of a culture.

I think the U.S. promotes some very good things (the ones you mention -- personal liberty, freedom of speech, self-opportunity, and so forth). But these things are not the end-all, be-all of life, and are also our greatest weaknesses. Some other cultures (rightly, I think) see us as undisciplined, self-centered, soft, and brash because of our unbounded freedom.

Take an Asian culture like Japan, where traditionally conformity, family loyalty, etiquette, etc., was demanded. These things can be oppressive and very stressful if taken to the extreme, but they also promote interdependence, consideration of other's feelings, and social responsibility -- stuff generally lacking here in the States.

My company is starting work in Dubai (a middle east Islamic nation), so I've had to learn a little bit about the culture. Whereas westerners are very schedule/time-oriented, Dubai is more relaxed and prone to letting family matters throw off the schedule at the last minute. We find their "lackadaisical" attitude annoying; they find our rigidity and impersonal-ness annoying.

I can even look at Muslims and admire them for their devotion to their faith, even if I am not a Muslim. Christians here in the States tend towards being lukewarm; our freedom has made us generally lazy.

I do think we can judge certain practices in other cultures as wrong. Anthropologists 75 years ago tried to say that no culture has the right to "judge" another, but I think certain practices (such as female genital mutilation) are wrong in any context, and we have the right to criticize the practice and work to change it.

Answer 3

Democracy? Humanism? Freedom?

I think you need to read more history of the western world!

Let's just take the US:

We talk about democracy but do we mean it? When the Vietnam war started we promised to let the Vietmese people vote for the kind of government they wanted. However, when we realized the vast majority actually wanted Ho Chi Minh's government, we simply forbid them to vote. Now we invade Iraq based on lies in the name of spreading democracy.

Can you say we really believe in humanism, which holds that all people have value? We take advantage of third world countries by using them as cheap labor - we pushed for the WTO supposedly to help them but third world countries have been getting poorer since it started. Try driving through some of the poor parts of the US. Why are people living like that in the richest country in the world? Why do public schools in wealthy neighbourhoods get more money than ones in poor neighbourhoods? Because we care for all people equally?

And then freedom - that is the one thing I would agree that we do have more of in the western world. Unfortunately, to most people it means only the freedom to buy more crap. We have the ability in this country to easily change what the government is doing, but choose not to. However, what have we done to secure the freedom of people in other countries? There are numerous instances where we have worked to overthrow a democratically elected leader in another country to prop up a dictator that supports our interests.

I am not saying that I would prefer to live in the middle east or asia. I do believe that the US give a better life to its citizens than other countries, but our treatment of the rest of the world is dangerous. We are creating too much resentment, too much hatred, and no one stays on top for ever. When we are no longer the most powerful nation, then what? Will the rest of the world look at the US with fondness, or with a desire for retribution?

Answer 4

Yes

Answer 5

Yes, there is always a way that you can consider two things equal. The human thought processes are very flexible that way.

Answer 6

Equal in terms of what? They are different and unique and that's all that matters.

Why are we always trying to modernize everyone and stick our noses where they don't belong?

Answer 7

equal? on what balance? in which way are you to determine what equates, equality?......Education? religion? money?politics?
Society/socialism? Beauty? All Men are created equal.

Answer 8

Yes. Why any culture or race has to be superior.