How does one distinguish between cultural specific taboos and transcendent moral laws?

Question

E.g. eating pork is a culture-specific taboo, not a moral issue. Adultery is an obvious moral issue. Where are the boundaries between the two?

Answer 1

i can't help you with that one, sorry. i commit adultery AND eat pork

Answer 2

All laws whether they be moral or cultural or just plain old fashioned laws of the land invariably end up standing on their head. Gamboling, Hanging, Homosexual laws to name but a few, none of them withstand the passage of time. That is why we have time ! so that everyone gets a fair crack at the whip.

Answer 3

I think you have a good example. Most people misuse the word "moral". Most recent example would be a football star gone bad "Vick". Many would say that he made a bad moral judgement or action, but I would say that he did something that is social or cultural taboo. To distinguish, you must take away your personal feelings before asking yourself whether it is a taboo or moral issue. How do you distinguish good or bad? Well, it would be left on your innate power. I would say, to use law to judge, you must take away your feelings and look at the facts, then distinguish upon what it tells you. I know it is contradicting, but you can't really distinguish anything if you cannot put facts and innate power together. I guess that is why we have so much issue on this topic.

Since I was talking about Vick, I will say this even though it is off topic. When it comes to killing animals, I really do not get it. I wouldn't kill my dog, but I don't understand the double standard. I think this happens because we act upon feelings, not facts and innate power.

Answer 4

I would stick to the old rhetoric verse 'when in rome, do as the romans do'.

Answer 5

I think culture specific taboos have a lot to do with religion - for example adultery is not necessarily illegal in some countries

Answer 6

There are no transcendent moral laws.  All human behavior is regulated by need.  Needs of the individual include a social network and therefor must include the needs of that group.  

As populations grow and more groups interact the more important it becomes to acknowledge and respect the needs of others and to adapt, letting go of rules or laws or behaviors that one has adapted previously and to adapt and adopt rules and behaviors that meet the needs of everyone.  Holding on to rules that are old -"encultured"- leads to differences that do not really exist and to enmities that have no 'real' basis.

We must be careful when we decide what is right or wrong and not simply accept that there is some transcendental law. Humans always have and must continue to assess every situation and judge what is a best course of action for everyone.

Answer 7

You can`t. They are two sides of the same coin. Moral creates taboos and taboos will eventually become a moral issue. In some places eating pork is seen as very immoral. Moral is not logic, it changes from time to time.

Answer 8

well for me.....if they harm someone other then themselves, you shouldnt do it.  selfdestuction is one thing, but to hurt someone else emotionally or psychically you've crossed the line.

Answer 9

cultural specific taboos like eating beef / pork are related to medical/ cultural needs interwoven with the religion-- as that was the only method available to the gurus of the yore to keep their rather uneducated masses from diseases the pork carries- and to build on the milch head-- as in India.

Transcendent moral laws-- as in against cheating, theft, burglary, adultery et al were created by the gurus in order to create a social order.  Surprisingly most cultures despite the  geographical and linguistic differences have evolved more orless similar set of moral laws

Answer 10

moral laws are usually the ones dictated to us by our culture and religion while taboos are the topics you know you shouldn't talk about in the presence of people who are affected or may be discriminated against that said topic

Answer 11

What constitutes morality varies greatly across social contexts.  It is a cultural construction, and hence subject to the same potential for variation as any cultural trait. Even within similar cultures and societies, morality is defined and understood differently (i.e there is no monolithic way in which morality means the same things to all people, even those belonging to the same society). While there may be demonstrable patterns in the cross cultural expression of what constitutes morality (that is, adultery may factor in determining constructions of morality within many cultures), such similarities  cannot be attributed to a transcendent principle to which all humans comply. A question for you: how do you differentiate taboos and laws?

Answer 12

There are no transcendent moral laws.  Each culture has its own values and morals and not all consider anything to be wrong - even adultery.  there are cultures where it is expect that a man shares his wife with visitors - making adultery (though it may not be considered as such) the norm.

There are many culture specific taboos or morals that are shared by many cultures - but there are no normative laws that apply to all cultures.