Similar to Ken Wilber's "Pre/trans fallacy", which is about conflating pre-rational views with trans-rational views, the Relative/absolute fallacy is about conflating relative perspectives with The Absolute perspective. This is the main source of confusion in the forms of spirituality that deal with the implications of non-duality (Oneness).
There are generally two levels to the fallacy:
1. The first level is the conflation that happens when you don't have knowledge about the distinction between the relative and The Absolute (dual/non-dual). This is common in pre-rational religious people (Wilber). The way that traditional religion interprets various holy texts is itself a good example.
2. The second level happens when you do have knowledge about the distinction between relative and absolute (but it's obviously not complete knowledge). This is common in (aspiring) trans-rational people. A common example is to think that because nothing ultimately really matters, morality doesn't matter, and therefore it's fine to for example hurt other people. This is to conflate "the relative" with "The Absolute". From The Absolute perspective, yes, nothing really matters, but morality can only ever be defined "relative" to a certain value system in the first place. By taking the absolute perspective, you're deliberately stepping outside of all value systems, but "it's fine to hurt other people" would be a moral statement, which means you're actually invoking a relative perspective.
There are generally two levels to the fallacy:
1. The first level is the conflation that happens when you don't have knowledge about the distinction between the relative and The Absolute (dual/non-dual). This is common in pre-rational religious people (Wilber). The way that traditional religion interprets various holy texts is itself a good example.
2. The second level happens when you do have knowledge about the distinction between relative and absolute (but it's obviously not complete knowledge). This is common in (aspiring) trans-rational people. A common example is to think that because nothing ultimately really matters, morality doesn't matter, and therefore it's fine to for example hurt other people. This is to conflate "the relative" with "The Absolute". From The Absolute perspective, yes, nothing really matters, but morality can only ever be defined "relative" to a certain value system in the first place. By taking the absolute perspective, you're deliberately stepping outside of all value systems, but "it's fine to hurt other people" would be a moral statement, which means you're actually invoking a relative perspective.
You're conflating relative perspectives with The Absolute perspective ("The Relative/Absolute Fallacy").
Albert thinks he is God and nobody else is. Albert has committed the Relative/Absolute Fallacy.
Albert thinks he is God and nobody else is. Albert has committed the Relative/Absolute Fallacy.
by Carich99 December 23, 2020

Relatives you never see until there is a funeral in the family & they show up to act greedy, stir discontent within the family, or stuff their faces with as much free food as they can at the post funeral reception.
When granpap died, all the wake relatives we hadn't seen since gramma's funeral began showing up to see who would inherit what, to point fingers at who caused granpap's cancer, and to stuff their faces at the buffet afterwards.
by Ihor Ivanenko May 25, 2010

by BeatleBabe007 September 18, 2024

Guys! It's a relative term! Relax! How was I supposed to know I think in PhD level psychology as a matter of default?
Hym "Did I not tell you Jordan's next book was going to be me? You see them cannibalizing my work and converting it into conservative talking points right? Like... Yeah. I mean, I tried to bash my own brains in but they're just too strong! I got them strong brains, baby. And it's a relative term so it's not like a huge deal. I'm the greatest mind who's ever lived! I can't help it! My skull meat is the juiciest! What do you want me to do here?"
by Hym Iam August 27, 2023


Einstein's theory of relativity shows the laws of physics. ideas about light speed, speed of light, time, and energy.
the theory of relativity has two ideas; special relativity and general relativity.
the theory of relativity has two ideas; special relativity and general relativity.
by 555mary June 19, 2024
