SUBSTANTIVE AND METHODOLOGICAL RELATIVISM

SUBSTANTIVE RELATIVISM:

Relativism has different domains such as domains in religions, aesthetics, science, and knowledge. Based on the domains,when we think certain judgements in certain domains systematically differ and they differ with respect to background assumptions or cultures, and there's no way of ranking in neutral way.This is known as substantive relativism. For analogy, one might think science is knowledge while the other might say science has no knowledge. This means that everything is in the eyes of beholder. Just because someone deny one's own ideas doesn't meant he is more correct than others and vice versa. Another notable example was the upheavel of Edingburgh in the  18th century. The bourgeoisie or the middlemen thought that it is their duty to carry out labourers works because it is meant by God. They support the coherence of phrenology. Phrenologists believe that everyone has different faculties in brain. This brain influences our skulls. Determination of skulls identify the talents of a men. One who is good in music has big faculties in their back  skull. This ideas dominance the society of Edinburgh. However, the traditionalists/aristocrats opposed it is  unnatural to be division in society.Also, the ideas of Popper on sociology of knowledge is "deconstruction gone mad"  meaning pure science should do its work while sociologists says science should be study and use in the context of society. By observing this, one can  single out both have their own perspective and views which is known as relativism.


Methodological relativism:

When we talk about methodological relativism it means during investigation one should not do evaluation. For example, there is a news about witchcraft or oracles in a village where you are going to find out what exactly happens in the village.You might have heard from the villagers that expected witchers however you should not keep that in your mind during investigations.For instance, Thomas Kuhn's states that science is cyclical pattern, repeats again and again. Kuhn's ideas is new paradigm in the scientific revolutions. First step is normal science, second is crisis period, and third is revolution of science. We compile our ideas and then putting our theories to the harshest possible tests (Popperian rule). When you do that sometimes it violates the objective of the principle just like chemists Lavoisier couldn't prove his favourite element Caloric. He claims that chemists should be like physicists and everything should be quantify but he failed. His new paradigm brings crisis period. Then, certain ideas or paradigm should be improvised to give the exact data which is known as revolution in science. One should do experimentally in the field during investigation and should not totally depends on reading books for conclusion. In short, methodological relativism deals about reasons without evaluation during investigation.Scientific investigations should be carried out in unbiased fashion which is the opposite of substantive relativisim.