Mike Slater discussed the danger of relativism in culture. As reported by Breitbart, Slater said, “There are three cultural expressions that people use all the time (without even thinking about it) that are just wrong:

• Who are you to say?
• Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.
• My truth.

“So,” he continued, “The ancient wisdom is you look for the good, the beautiful, and the true. So, we have the exact opposite of all of these,” speaking of today’s corrupt and corrupting society.

None of us will deny that today’s society seems to be decaying before our very eyes. And we may even question whether we (as lovers of liberty) are part of the problem.

Let’s discuss these briefly.

Who are you to say? is a way of saying that you (or I) have no right to judge other people, nor to judge actions. As it is applied today, especially if the people whose actions you are judging are of a different ethnicity, “race” (skin color), cultural background, nation, or even sex.

It ties back to a statement by Jesus the Christ. It is perhaps the most twisted of any of His quotes: “Judge not, lest ye be judged.” (King James version) It is taken out of context to make judging other people, their actions, and their character a sin. In context, it is clear that He is teaching teaching something else. What? That you are to be careful; judge others by the same standard by which you judge yourself, and that God judges us all. We cannot be two-faced or hypocritical: we must use the same standard for all of us.

Our critical evaluation of others and the actions and objects of the world and society around us is an essential element of life. One person factitiously pointed out that “I’m not a judge, I’m just a fruit inspector,” referring to the biblical fruits of the Spirit and fruits of darkness. From bananas to would-be mass murderers and child abusers, we are to say something: to point out what is right and wrong, what is acceptable and to be condemned. As lovers of liberty, we have not just the right but the obligation to call out those who initiate force (who aggress) against others. And therefore, to judge (determine) when it is necessary and right, to defend ourselves and others against such things and the people who do them.

But in “modern” society, being judgmental is a grave offense, and like “appropriating” someone’s cultural practices and products, we are condemned. So evil actions must be condoned and even applauded. We are told that “diversity” and “inclusion” must be our priorities, not applying the same standard and truth to all of us.

Some point out that such actions, especially when applied to people of “other races” or “other cultures,” are strong indicators of prejudice and discrimination. Could they be right?

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder is a statement which endorses the concept of relativism. (It is tied closely to the next saying, as well as the last.) As the first saying rejects moral standards (and norms), so this one rejects cultural standards, and indeed the acceptance of any rational definition of beauty. Or any other values. As with the idea of property (including land) held “in common,” this attitude and action ultimately devalues everything: if beauty is totally subjective, then so is ugliness. Everything (and everyone) must be exactly equal in the eyes of everyone.

Of course, as is the case with morality and judging others, if children are warped as they learn, that warped sense of value, of beauty and ugliness, will continue in adulthood. Looking around, that may be exactly what we see. Of course, different people will see differences in beauty, but there needs to be some common values for society to exist.

My truth states that there is no objective standard for what is (and therefore is not) true. Whether they suffer constant mental dissonance or not, again there is both a need and an ability to separate truth from error. Once again, we quote Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy regarding people who are so proud of their “tolerance” they become unable even to distinguish black from white in a zebra crossing and get killed walking into traffic. Whether we are speaking of mathematics or what really happened in World War One or the War Between the States, we must recognize and seek objective truth, and not what we want to see. Again, that way leads to the collapse of society, starting with civility and expanding from there.

All of these examples of relativism point to the need for common standards. Perhaps the greatest secular need is for both private individuals and agents and leaders of government to be held accountable by the same standards of truth, beauty, and morality. Including but not limited to the zero-aggression principle and respect for private property.

Otherwise, society continues to descend into madness.