I would describe myself as consciously eurocentric. To me, European history and culture are by far the most interesting and I don't care that much about the rest because it simply isn't that appealing/accessible.
That being said, I don't deny the non-Europeans the right to think the same about their respective cultural regions/civilizations. I am sure the Chinese find the history of their country fascinating, but to me it's all... chinese, if you get my meaning.
Well, first of all, all cultures are morally equal.
Ugh.
Attributing inferior attitudes to culture diminishes individual responsibility and dismisses the importance of political structures in that given culture, since culture doesn't embed moral viewpoints anyone considered part of that culture necessarily ascribe to. For instance Arabs are not inherently more prone to honour killings than Westerners, because the fact it is more common to Arabs simply notifies a correlation, not a casual link.
I don't think I can agree with this. I agree with the point that adherence to a culture doesn't diminish individual responsibility, but since culture to a large degree shapes behavioural patterns, one can't simply hide behind the shield of the "correlation isn't causation" mantra. After a certain point, the correlation is so strong that it cannot be ignored.
Example: an island culture where infanticide is a perfectly common, accepted form of population control deeply embedded in the local culture, which in order to survive needed to find ways to prevent overpopulation and the resulting overconsumption of natural resources.
Now people coming from this cultural background are settled in a European-culture country where infanticide is seen as a grave crime, a murder most foul. Friction is bound to occur when women coming from the island culture kill their unwanted newborns as is customary among their people. Since laws of the European-culture country are shaped by its adherence to European culture, these women will be considered murderers and face high prison sentences, or perhaps even life without parole.
Clearly, correlation is causation, or very close to it in this simplified example.
That said, European culture does have significantly more influence in popular political discourse than any other culture. Eurocentrism is arguably unavoidable, even if you aren't European.
Agreed.