Which theory claims that moral rightness is determined by the standards of one's culture?

• A. Subjective relativism
• B. Deontology
• C. Moral objectivism
• D. Cultural relativism

Answer: (C)

The main idea here is cultural relativism. This view holds that what counts as morally right depends on the norms and values of a given culture. There isn’t a single universal standard—rightness and wrongness are judged within the framework of a culture’s beliefs, and practices seen as right in one culture may be seen as wrong in another, without one side imposing an external standard.

This differs from subjective relativism, which ties morality to an individual’s own beliefs; from deontology, which holds that there are universal duties or rules; and from moral objectivism, which claims universal moral truths independent of culture. Cultural relativism specifically anchors moral evaluation in the standards of the culture in question.