Final answer:
Louis Pojman criticizes cultural relativism's inconsistency in promoting tolerance, as many societies do not inherently value it. He argues that this philosophical stance cannot universally uphold tolerance nor explain moral reforms originating from cultural minorities.
Step-by-step explanation:
Philosopher Louis Pojman has critiqued the concept of cultural relativism, particularly Normative Ethical Relativism, which suggests that the morals of a society are correct simply because they are the society's predominant views. According to Pojman, this paradigm cannot consistently uphold the value of tolerance because tolerance itself is a value that varies from culture to culture. If a culture values intolerance, then, according to Normative Ethical Relativism, intolerance would be considered morally correct for that culture. Pojman points out that this view leads to a contradiction when Normative Ethical Relativism attempts to promote tolerance universally, as it cannot demand tolerance from a culture that does not value it.
This theory also cannot account for moral reforms that arise from minority views within a culture, since the theory considers minority views inherently incorrect. Therefore, Pojman suggests that the notion of cultural relativism, when taken to an extreme, actually undermines the very tolerance it seeks to promote and becomes an inconsistent and confused position. It challenges the idea that tolerance is an absolute good and reveals a more complex landscape of cultural norms where tolerance can be perceived in different lights.
Cultural relativism acknowledges that each culture has its own beliefs and practices that must be understood within the context of that culture. However, Pojman's critique highlights that absolutes such as universal tolerance cannot be meaningfully applied within this framework, and that cultural relativism cannot be a basis for criticizing harmful cultural practices or resolving moral disagreements.