7. Ensuring Equality and Objectivity in Intercultural Dialogue

Although there is an increasing acknowledgment of the importance of intercultural ethics, comprehensive research on how to navigate ethical dilemmas in a globalized and multicultural context is still lacking. This paper specifically seeks to explore the following question: Given the diversity and imbalanced power dynamics between and within cultures, and the influence of contextual-cultural values on moral perspectives, how can one ensure equality and objectivity in intercultural discussions aimed at generating moral knowledge? For its methodology, critically appropriates insights from the discourse theories of German philosopher Jürgen Habermas and US American philosopher of science Helen Longino. The essay argues that intercultural ethical dialogue focused on producing moral understanding should be guided by the following criteria for transformative criticism to promote fairness and impartiality: 1) the presence of public venues for dialogue/criticism; 2) the explication of the community’s set of shared standards; 3) the community’s responsiveness to criticisms; 4) the equality of intellectual authority 5) and the granting of partial epistemological privilege to marginalized groups.