Relativism in ethics is the view that moral judgments are true or false only relative to some particular standpoint, such as that of a culture or a historical period, and that there are no universal moral standards that can be applied to all peoples at all times. Ethical relativism is the theory that morality is relative to the norms of ones culture, meaning that whether an action is right or wrong depends on the moral norms of the society in which it is practiced. The same action may be morally right in one society but be morally wrong in another.

There are several criticisms of ethical relativism. Some philosophers argue that if the rightness or wrongness of an action depends on a societys norms, then one must obey the norms of ones society, which means that if a society believes that certain practices are morally permissible, then one must accept those practices as morally right. However, this would mean that obvious moral wrongs, such as slavery or apartheid, would be acceptable if they were accepted by a particular society.

Another criticism of ethical relativism is that it implies that there are no universal moral standards that can exist even if some moral practices and beliefs vary among cultures. In other words, we can acknowledge cultural differences in moral practices and beliefs and still hold that some of these practices and beliefs are morally wrong.

Overall, relativism in ethics is a complex and controversial topic that has been widely discussed in philosophy and beyond. While some philosophers defend forms of relativism, others are quite critical of it.