A Philosophical Analysis of Intergroup Relations in Nigeria and the Question of Paul Feyerabend's Cultural Relativism and Tolerance
Intergroup relations remain a major challenge in today's diverse and of globalised numerous societies, groups especially ranging in from nations ethnic, like Nigeria religious, that comprise cultural, political, social etc. Several approaches and perspectives have been proposed to promote smooth intergroup relations in Nigeria: Anthropologists and philosophers have all offered various divergent and conflicting explanations and conceptions; however, the problem remains unsolved. This paper attempts to discuss these divergent and seemingly conflicting views in the light of Feyerabend's cultural relativism and tolerance and its implications for intergroup relations in Nigeria. To achieve this goal, the paper first discusses Paul Feyerabend's cultural relativism, which focuses on the respect and consideration for other people's worldviews, cultures and morals, and then his notion of tolerance. Feyerabend believes that what is right for one cultural group may not be right for another. This study shows that different groups have different worldviews and belief systems that should not be neglected for any reason. From the exposition, our conclusion in this paper is that, Feyerabend's cultural relativism and tolerance has positive implications for the Nigerian society because the ideas are capable of fostering smooth inter-group relations among the Nigerian peoples.
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