Final answer:
Cultural relativism impacts society's views on human nature by positing that ethical standards are culture-specific. Religious doctrines and secular beliefs often present more absolutist moral perspectives, while cognitive science provides empirical insights that may challenge traditional beliefs. This array of influences creates a complex and sometimes contradictory ethical landscape within society.
Step-by-step explanation:
The influence of cultural relativism and diverse philosophical perspectives such as religious doctrines, secular beliefs, and cognitive science on society's assumptions about human nature is significant. Cultural relativism suggests that moral values and ethics are not universal but rather are shaped by societal norms, which can vary greatly across cultures. This beliefs system asserts that what is considered "good" or "bad" is dependent on cultural context and that there are no absolute moral truths.
Religious and secular beliefs contribute their own perspectives, often entrenched in absolutist views of morality, which can conflict with the relativist stance. For example, many religious doctrines posits universal moral codes believed to be defined by a higher power, while secular perspectives might anchor their morality in humanism or rationality. Cognitive science, on the other hand, offers insights into human behavior and ethical decision-making that may challenge both religious and secular assumptions about inherent goodness or badness.
The complex interaction between these perspectives can lead to a society where people hold inconsistent and contradictory ideas concerning morality, as observed in the blend of absolutist and relativist thought. Additionally, minority views challenging predominant societal views can, over time, lead to moral reforms, as seen throughout history. Societies thus perpetually negotiate their moral compass, influenced by a diverse array of cultural, religious, secular, and scientific inputs.