On Cosmopolitanism Summary

Culture is something important that distinguishes people from other groups. A persons morals, roles, traditions, and behaviors are all details that make up the definition of culture. Different groups of people follow a different way of living. Things that are looked down upon in one group can be seen the opposite in another group. Culture tends to change within the same group as time goes by. Many questions arise when talking about peoples customs. Is our lack of resemblance in morals separating us as a society? Are certain traditions suppressing a person from being able to learn outside their culture? Why is it that some morals change as time goes by? Culture is a diverse topic that is constantly changing and has indefinite meanings to how
it should be. What separates people with culture differences is the idea that one groups way is more superior than the other.
In the video “On Cosmopolitanism”, Kwame Anthony Appaih discusses the factors of culture. He brings to light two concepts, universalism and cosmopolitanism. Universalism follows more of a “one culture is correct”, view. While cosmopolitanism is more of a “entitled to be different”, point of view. The differences in culture is what ultimately makes humans alike and different at the same time. Apipiah makes an excellent point stating, “The fact there are all these different kinds of values and we can recognize so many of them is a reflection of the fact that we're all human, being that we share what you might call a moral nature”. We all follow the traditions and roles to our dedicated customs, just in different
ways I was raised by a Mexican mother and a Salvadorian father.
Both of them came from different cultures and backgrounds. My parents had both grown up in strict house holds, but a lot of the things they were taught to follow was not pushed on to me. This is an example of how morals change over time. For example my father was the son of a priest so religion was an important moral growing up. He spend most of his life in church and he was not to fond of it. I did not grow up with that heavy religious tradition like my father did. Another example of how morals change is the author Sandra Cisneros moral issues with her father. Cisneros father expected her to go to college to find a husband rather than for her education. Her father had certain traditional views that women are supposed to find husbands and that is their main goal. He is unable to see options outside of his culture where it is a good idea for women to educate themselves and be independent. Morals have definitely changed since the authors time. A lot more Hispanic girls are being encouraged to get their education and make something of themselves. In conclusion cultural values do change over time and the lack of resemblance in morals is part of our moral
nature.