Relativism 

A worldview common in the West (but held by very few philosophers) which people arive at after very little actual thought. Consists of the notion that there is no single objective truth, and that no one can say anything is true.

Ironically, no one who adheres to relativism can say that relativism is true.

Smart person: "How can you objectively claim that there are no objective claims?"

Relativist: *brain melts* "Stop persecuting me, you xenophobe!"

Relativism by Grim Winnebago January 9, 2004

Relativism 

It's relative to the person asking the definition..

Relativism pretty much means What is true for me is true for me and what is true for you is true for you..

Relativism by thesquareof4 August 14, 2012

relativism 

a very common belief these days. revolves mainly around the idea, "what is right for you isn't right for me". denies that there is truth at all. many relativists realize that mathematical truths cannot be disproven, but they still susbscribe to the idea that multiple opposing ideas can exist in the same realm and still produce no conflicts.

hitler thought it was perfectly fine of him to kill millions of people. obviously, he was a relativist. the people he oppressed obviously didn't have the same veiw, and look at what happened. they were killed.

relativism by karl June 8, 2004

Relativism 

Intellectual laziness.

Everything is relative. This means that all belief systems are equally true, except for Christianity and anything remotely pro-western or pro-American.

Also, since relativism holds that there is no center of truth, it is a perfectly valid opinion to say that "Plan 9 From Outer Space" is a better movie than "Citizen Kane", because my opinion is just as valid as yours, even when I don't bother to back it up.

Relativism by Killing Kittens December 7, 2006

Relativism Equals False Fallacy

The blanket assertion that any claim associated with "relativism" is automatically false, self-refuting, or dangerous. The fallacy lies in treating relativism as a unitary error rather than a family of positions with different strengths and weaknesses, and in using the label as a refutation rather than engaging specific arguments. Some forms of relativism may be coherent; some may be true in certain domains. The label doesn't settle the question—argument does.

Relativism Equals False Fallacy "I suggested that different cultures might have different valid moral frameworks. Response: 'That's just relativism, which is obviously false!' That's Relativism Equals False Fallacy—using the label as a refutation. But moral relativism is a serious position with sophisticated defenders. Calling it 'relativism' doesn't refute it; arguing against it does. The label is not the logic."

Relativism Equals False Fallacy by Dumu The Void February 28, 2026

Relativism Scaremongering

The strategic use of exaggerated threats about relativism to justify absolute claims, dismiss alternative perspectives, and shut down questions about whose truth counts. Relativism scaremongering treats any suggestion that truth might be contextual, any acknowledgment that different cultures have different ways of knowing, any skepticism about universal standards as the first step toward moral chaos, political collapse, and the end of civilization. It's the pundit who warns that acknowledging cultural differences leads to approving genocide; the philosopher who treats any contextualism as a slippery slope to nihilism; the polemicist who uses "relativist" as a slur to dismiss anyone who questions their absolutes. The scaremongering makes critique unthinkable by making it seem monstrous—painting those who ask "whose truth?" as enemies of truth itself.

Example: "She suggested that maybe different cultures have different valid ways of knowing—and he accused her of endorsing Holocaust denial. Relativism Scaremongering: using the worst possible outcome to dismiss any nuance at all."

Relativism Scaremongering by Dumu The Void March 14, 2026

Relativism Derangement Syndrome

An irrational, obsessive fear of relativism in any form, where the mere suggestion that truth or morality might be context‑dependent triggers accusations of nihilism, sophistry, and intellectual cowardice. Sufferers cannot distinguish between descriptive relativism (different cultures have different norms), meta‑ethical relativism (there is no universal moral standard), and normative relativism (we should tolerate difference). Any nuance collapses into a binary: absolute universal truth or utter chaos. The syndrome often manifests as a refusal to examine one’s own cultural assumptions, projecting the fear of groundlessness onto others.

Example: “He heard ‘different cultures have different concepts of health’ and immediately shouted ‘so you think anything goes?’ Relativism Derangement Syndrome, unable to hear description as anything but endorsement.”

Relativism Derangement Syndrome by Dumu The Void April 4, 2026