ETHICS SCRIPT

Scene 1: Introduction
Voice-over: Have you ever travelled to a new country only to be confused by certain customs and
practices? Walked the roads of a new city uncertain as to how you should behave? Every
country has its own customs, standards of behaviour and taboos and often times they
remain undiscovered until those practices are breached. These differences in culture are
the fundamental basis of Moral Relativism.
Moral Relativism is the idea that there is no universal or absolute set of moral principles.
It is a view that what’s right in one’s culture, may be wrong in another. And there’s no
way of judging between the two. It’s relative, there’s no absolute truth of the matter. There
will be instances that what’s right in a certain place is wrong in another.
Clips: ***
Voice-over: This implies that nothing is universally true, false, right, or wrong. And this is the
implication that makes relativism one of the most modern and controversial philosophies
of all time. Relativism about morality has come to play an increasingly important role in
contemporary culture. Here are some examples of customs from different countries that
perfectly depict the idea of moral relativism

Scene 2: Gifts
Countries: (involved) Philippines, Japan, China
Props: ***
Voice-over: So, here in the Philippines, we are quick to accept gifts, favors and invitations. For us,
rejecting such offers may be rude. However, many cultures (like in Japan) expect you to
decline things a few times before ultimately accepting them. In China, you're even
expected to refuse a gift three times before accepting it.
Clips: Offering a gift, accepting gifts
Scene 3: thank you
Countries: India
Props: ***
Voice-over: Growing up, we are generally taught to say "thankyou" every time someone does
something for us, may it be a small act of kindness or not. We view this as basic good
manners and we do this almost all the time. Surprisingly, this is not the case in India.
Saying "thankyou" can get you in trouble in india. In indian culture, “thank you” is not
taken lightly and if said in the wrong context, can be insulting and insincere. A
"thankyou" at the end of the meal prepared by someone else is thought as a payment and it
is not the most welcome gesture in india. When someone is thanked in India, it implies a
sincere debt of gratitude for going above and beyond the call of duty. For everyday
transactions, expressing thanks verbally is not necessary because in the Hindi language, in
everyday gestures and culture, there is an unspoken understanding of gratitude.

Clips: ***
Scene 4: Body Language p.1
Countries: Malaysia
Props: ***
Voice-over: (INTRO) Having different languages is a huge hindrance in conversing with people who
do not speak or understand the same language as yours. One might think that body
language, especially hand gestures, is the go-to option every time they face this kind of
 situation. With its lack of words and use of language, it is easy to misunderstand that hand
gestures are universal. Turns out, not all hand gestures mean the same thing. One hand
gesture can carry a death-blow of vulgarism in one culture while it is pretty harmless in
another. And doing as simple as pointing at something may make you look rude and
disrespectful.
How do you point at something? While common in a lot of western cultures, using the
forefinger to point is seen as a rude in Malaysia. According to their culture, it is a sign of
condemnation. It is typically a child’s gesture, the Thai equivalent of sticking out your
tongue. Instead, they make a hand gesture that highly resembles a thumbs-up . Malaysian
people make a fist with their thumb over top the fingers and point using the thumb as the
directional guide.

Clips: ***
Scene 5: Body Language p. 2
Countries: Middle East, Latin America, Western Africa, Russia, and Greece
Props: ***
Voice-over: Speaking of thumbs-up, in a lot of countries, especially in the Middle East, Latin America,
Western Africa, Russia, and Greece, a thumbs-up basically has the same meaning as
holding up a middle finger does for Americans. While Western culture has become used
to the thumbs-up as a positive, informal signal, generally indicating a job well done, its
generally not recommended to use the thumbs-up around the said countries, most
especially middle east, as it’s pretty much the biggest insult out there – and even worse if
you pull off the emphatic version with both hands.

Clips: ***
Scene 6: Occasions, Birthdays p.1
Countries: Germany
Props: ***
Voice-over: For different occasions, every country has their own customs. One of the most common
occasions that is being celebrated around the world are birthdays. For most people, if we
have loved ones or friends that are going to celebrate their birthday, we usually wait for
the clock to strike 12 am at the day of their birthday for us to be the first person to greet
them. However, this is not the same in Germany. This is because Germans have this
superstition that something bad might happen if someone is to greet the birthday celebrant
early.
Clips: ***
Scene 7: Occasions, Birthdays p.2
Countries: Russia
Props: ***
Voice-over: In some countries, people would give a dozen or 18 flowers to a debutant as part of the
birthday celebration. But in Russia, flowers that are even numbered are not given as a gift
for celebrations. This is because even numbered gifts or flowers are only given when there
is a funeral happening and as for celebrations, gifts are given in odd numbers.
Clips: ***
Scene 8: Occasions, parties
Countries: Argentina
Props: ***
Voice-over: Aside from birthdays different countries also celebrate different occasions sometimes in a
form of throwing a party. Usually, the host sets a specific time for when the party is going
to start as well as end. in Latin American cultures, notably in Argentina, it is a bad form to
 show up to a dinner party right on time. Arriving late at a dinner party is not considered
rude in Argentina.
Clips: ***
Scene 9: blowing nose
Countries: China, France, Japan, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey
Props: ***
Voice-over: There are also things that are considered normal in some countries but are rude to some.
Just like the act of blowing you nose. In countries like China, France, Japan, Saudi Arabia,
and Turkey, blowing your nose in public is not only rude, but considered repulsive.
Clips: ***
Scene 10: Conclusion
Voice-over: Conclusion: Moral Relativism is on the opposite end of the continuum from moral
absolutism, which says that there is always one right answer to any ethical question.
Indeed, those who adhere to moral relativism would say, “When in Rome, do as the
Romans do.”

Have you ever travelled to a new country only to be confused by certain customs and practices? Walked
the roads of a new city uncertain as to how you should behave? Every country has its own customs,
standards of behaviour and taboos and often times they remain undiscovered until those practices are
breached. These differences in culture are the fundamental basis of Moral Relativism.

Moral Relativism is the idea that there is no universal or absolute set of moral principles. It is a view that
what’s right in one’s culture, may be wrong in another. And there’s no way of judging between the two.
It’s relative, there’s no absolute truth of the matter. There will be instances that what’s right in a certain
place is wrong in another. (clips)

This implies that nothing is universally true, false, right, or wrong. And this is the implication that makes
relativism one of the most modern and controversial philosophies of all time. Relativism about morality
has come to play an increasingly important role in contemporary culture. Here are some examples of
customs from different countries that perfectly depict the idea of moral relativism

So, here in the Philippines, we are quick to accept gifts, favors and invitations. For us, rejecting such
offers may be rude. However, many cultures (like in Japan) expect you to decline things a few times
before ultimately accepting them. In China, you're even expected to refuse a gift three times before
accepting it. (vid, offering gift and accepting it)

Growing up, we are generally taught to say "thankyou" every time someone does something for us, may it
be a small act of kindness or not. We view this as basic good manners and we do this almost all the time.
Surprisingly, this is not the case in India. Saying "thankyou" can get you in trouble in india. In indian
culture, “thank you” is not taken lightly and if said in the wrong context, can be insulting and insincere. A
"thankyou" at the end of the meal prepared by someone else is thought as a payment and it is not the most
welcome gesture in india. When someone is thanked in India, it implies a sincere debt of gratitude for
going above and beyond the call of duty. For everyday transactions, expressing thanks verbally is not
necessary because in the Hindi language, in everyday gestures and culture, there is an unspoken
understanding of gratitude.
Having different languages is a huge hindrance in conversing with people who do not speak or understand
the same language as yours. One might think that body language, especially hand gestures, is the go-to
option every time they face this kind of situation. With its lack of words and use of language, it is easy to
misunderstand that hand gestures are universal. Turns out, not all hand gestures mean the same thing. One
hand gesture can carry a death-blow of vulgarism in one culture while it is pretty harmless in another.
And doing as simple as pointing at something may make you look rude and disrespectful.

How do you point at something? While common in a lot of western cultures, using the forefinger to point
is seen as a rude in Malaysia. According to their culture, it is a sign of condemnation. It is typically a
child’s gesture, the Thai equivalent of sticking out your tongue. Instead, they make a hand gesture that
highly resembles a thumbs-up . Malaysian people make a fist with their thumb over top the fingers and
point using the thumb as the directional guide.

Speaking of thumbs-up, in a lot of countries, especially in the Middle East, Latin America, Western
Africa, Russia, and Greece, a thumbs-up basically has the same meaning as holding up a middle finger
does for Americans. While Western culture has become used to the thumbs-up as a positive, informal
signal, generally indicating a job well done, its generally not recommended to use the thumbs-up around
the said countries, most especially middle east, as it’s pretty much the biggest insult out there – and even
worse if you pull off the emphatic version with both hands.

For different occasions, every country has their own customs. One of the most common occasions that is
being celebrated around the world are birthdays. For most people, if we have loved ones or friends that
are going to celebrate their birthday, we usually wait for the clock to strike 12 am at the day of their
birthday for us to be the first person to greet them. However, this is not the same in Germany. This is
because Germans have this superstition that something bad might happen if someone is to greet the
birthday celebrant early.

In some countries, people would give a dozen or 18 flowers to a debutant as part of the birthday
celebration. But in Russia, flowers that are even numbered are not given as a gift for celebrations. This is
because even numbered gifts or flowers are only given when there is a funeral happening and as for
celebrations, gifts are given in odd numbers.

Aside from birthdays different countries also celebrate different occasions sometimes in a form of
throwing a party. Usually, the host sets a specific time for when the party is going to start as well as end.
in Latin American cultures, notably in Argentina, it is a bad form to show up to a dinner party right on
time. Arriving late at a dinner party is not considered rude in Argentina.

There are also things that are considered normal in some countries but are rude to some. Just like the act
of blowing you nose. In countries like China, France, Japan, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey, blowing your
nose in public is not only rude, but considered repulsive.

Conclusion: Moral Relativism is on the opposite end of the continuum from moral absolutism, which says
that there is always one right answer to any ethical question. Indeed, those who adhere to moral relativism
would say, “When in Rome, do as the Romans do.”