I’m Kayla, and I love testing stuff. Headphones, kitchen gear, apps. This time I tested ideas. I treated two moral views like tools I could carry to work, school, and home.
- Objectivist lens: some rules are true for everyone. (If you're not sure what “objectivist” even covers, this hands-on explainer helps.)
- Cultural relativist lens: right and wrong depend on local customs and culture. (For a deeper dive into the history and core ideas behind cultural relativism, this overview is gold.)
I thought they fight all the time. They do. But you know what? They also nod at a few big points. And those points matter in real life.
Where They Actually Agree
- Harm counts. If people get hurt, it’s a red flag.
- Reasons matter. “Because I said so” doesn’t cut it.
- Listen first. Learn the context before you judge.
- Facts help. Data and details shape good calls.
- Hypocrisy is messy. Don’t make one rule for me and one for you.
- Respect the person, even if you dislike the act.
Let me explain with real scenes from my week. Well—four weeks, to be honest. I kept notes like a nerd. The full journal of that month-long experiment lives here.
Example 1: The Dress Code Fight (Back-to-School)
Place: PTA meeting at my kid’s middle school.
Topic: Hoodies, ripped jeans, and what “distracting” even means.
- My objectivist lens said: rules need equal treatment. If a line is fair for all, keep it. No shaming.
- My relativist lens said: our town has many cultures. Clothes signal identity. Let’s not punish that.
Where both lenses agreed:
- Don’t shame kids.
- Explain the why behind each rule.
- Ask students for input.
We added a student panel. We cut vague words like “distracting.” We kept safety rules (no long chains, closed-toe shoes in lab). Honestly, the mood changed fast.
Example 2: Gift Baskets and Procurement Pressure
Place: My office. I’m on the vendor review team.
Event: A supplier sent a fancy holiday basket. It looked expensive.
- Objectivist lens said: hidden pressure is wrong.
- Relativist lens said: in some places, gifts are normal; just be transparent.
Where both agreed:
- Log the gift.
- Share it with the whole team (no secret perks).
- No change to the scorecard.
We wrote it in the code of conduct. Simple. We ate the cookies. No strings.
Example 3: Food Customs at Work (Halal and Veg)
Place: Company cafeteria.
Issue: Labels were sloppy. A new hire asked for halal options.
- Objectivist lens: dignity matters for everyone. Eating is basic.
- Relativist lens: respect local customs; easy fixes show care.
Both lenses nodded:
- Clear labels.
- A halal option twice a week.
- A veg option daily.
- A quiet corner for prayer if someone asks.
Cost? Low. Benefit? People felt seen. HR got fewer complaints. My team ate better too.
Example 4: Youth Soccer Handshakes vs. Bows
Place: Saturday field. My son’s team played a visiting club from Japan.
Tiny moment, big lesson.
- Some parents pushed for the usual handshake line.
- Their coach asked for a bow first.
Both lenses agreed on respect:
- Do both. Bow, then shake.
- Don’t mock the bow. Teach it.
Kids loved it. My son bowed at home for a week. He even bowed to the dog. The dog did not care.
Example 5: Grandma’s Care Home Schedule
Place: Assisted living. My grandma lives there.
Staff asked for swaps around Diwali, Yom Kippur, and Christmas.
- Objectivist lens: fairness. No one should be punished for faith.
- Relativist lens: people keep holy days in many ways; honor that.
We set a clear swap system. No guilt. No favoritism. Coverage stayed solid. Grandma got her favorite nurse back on Tuesday. Win.
What I Liked About Each Lens
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Objectivist perks:
- Gives a spine. I used it to stop a “fun” hazing joke at a team offsite. I filed an incident report. No regrets. I once lived strictly as a moral objectivist for a stretch—here’s the honest review—and that backbone came in handy there too.
- Helps kids feel safe. Rules are clear, not random.
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Cultural relativist perks:
- Stops me from acting like a bulldozer. I ask more questions.
- Builds trust. People share more when they feel seen.
What Bugged Me
- Objectivist snag: It can feel stiff. Context can get lost. A strict “no gifts ever” rule would’ve iced a warm partner.
- Relativist snag: It can get mushy. Some folks hide harm behind “our culture.” That’s not okay. (That slide toward the relativist fallacy is well documented.)
So I set a guardrail both lenses accept: no harm, no shame, no secrecy. If someone is getting hurt or tricked, we stop it. Period.
The Shared Core, Said Plain
Here’s the thing: both objectivists and cultural relativists agree that we should listen, give reasons, and reduce harm where we can. They both value respect. They both use facts. They both know power can twist rules, so keep things transparent. I noticed the same overlap when I spent a week living by utilitarianism—trying to pin down whether that framework counts as objectivist or relativist—and you can see how that played out.
That’s not nothing. That’s a lot.
If you want to see how thinkers have blended backbone and empathy in practice, check out the archives at Full Context where real-world case studies bring these moral debates to life.
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A Quick Field Guide I Keep in My Notes App
- Ask: Who could be harmed here?
- Ask: What facts do we need before we act?
- Ask: What does fairness look like to all sides?
- Put it in writing. Clarity helps.
- Review the result in a week. Fix what broke.
It’s not fancy. It works at school, work, and home.
Final Verdict
I treated these two moral views like tools. And I still carry both. The objectivist lens gives me a backbone. The cultural relativist lens gives me ears. Together, I make fewer messes.
Would I recommend this “two-lens kit”? Yes. Use it on small stuff first. A meeting. A sign. A schedule. See who smiles and who relaxes. That’s your clue.
And if you’re stuck, do the simple test both sides respect:
- Is someone being hurt?
- Are we being honest?
- Can we explain our choice—out loud—to a kid?
If yes, you’re on solid ground. If you’re still hunting for what objectivist meaning looks like in day-to-day life, here’s how it landed in real life. That’s something we can all stand on.