Conventionalism is the idea that right and wrong depend entirely on the cultures and traditions to which we belong. What one culture calls immoral, another accepts as normal. But if we accept this reasoning, we are forced to conclude that any manner of atrocities — from ritual child sacrifice to female genital mutilation — are permissible. Without a universal standard of morality, it is difficult to claim that some behaviors are always wrong. On August 17, 2021, the Taliban, fresh from their takeover of Afghanistan, released a statement that they would protect the existing rights of Afghan women "within the framework of Islam." There was no mention of "human rights" or the Western idea of equality. Instead, the Taliban were appealing to a 2500-year-old tradition — the idea of cultural rela
