Cultural relativism is the principle that an individual's beliefs and activities should be understood by others in terms of that individual's own culture. Established as axiomatic in anthropological research by Franz Boas in the early twentieth century, it was intended as a tool to avoid ethnocentrism—the tendency to judge other cultures by the standards of one's own. By practicing cultural relativism, researchers can observe social phenomena more objectively, without imposing their own moral or aesthetic biases. However, the concept has faced significant philosophical challenges, particularly when cultural practices appear to violate universal human rights. Critics ask whether there are some values that should be considered absolute, regardless of cultural context. Proponents of relativism respond that while universal values may exist, the process of identifying them is often colored by the power dynamics of dominant cultures. This ongoing tension defines much of the discourse in modern global ethics.