Meanings
- uncountablehuman sciencesThe view that scientific facts about the world are not absolute, but are relative to historical eras and to evolving scientific theories.
- uncountablehuman sciencesThe claim that the world itself, or the facts about the world, are different for different individuals, or groups, or cultures.
Factual relativism, according to which the facts ... may differ across perspectives — that is, different facts obtain relative to different perspectives.
2005, Iris Einheuser, “Varieties of Relativism: Indexical, Propositional and Factual”, in Varieties of Relativism: Indexical, Propositional and Factual2 more examples
factual relativism ... attempts to argue that the world itself, or the “facts,” are different for different individuals (groups, cultures). Hence truth, too, is relative.
2013, Henrik Rydenfelt, Constructivist Problems, Realist Solutions, in J. Kegley and K. Skowronski, eds. Persuasion and Compulsion in Democracy. Lanham: Lexington Books, p. 164Whereas moral relativism deals with matters of value, cognitive relativism deals with matters of fact (although sharp distinctions may at times be difficult to make) (Hollis and Lukes 1982, p. 2).
2001, Jean Bricmont, Alan Sokal, “Chapter 3: Science and Sociology of Science: Beyond War and Peace”, in Jay A. Labinger, Harry M. Collins, editors, One Culture?: A Conversation about Science, page 38
Synonyms & antonyms
Origin
Cite this entry
factual relativism. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/factual%20relativism
“factual relativism.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/factual%20relativism. Accessed November 5, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “factual relativism,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/factual%20relativism.
Source: factual relativism on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.