In "The Primacy of the Ethical: Propositions for a Militant Anthropology," Nancy Scheper-Hughes challenges the traditional stance of anthropologists, who often bracket Western Enlightenment truths to engage with alternative cultural truths, potentially suspending ethical considerations. She argues that cultural relativism, read as moral relativism, is no longer appropriate in a world where human rights and ethical standards are increasingly recognized globally. Scheper-Hughes emphasizes the need for anthropology to be ethically grounded and politically committed, particularly in addressing issues of suffering, violence, and injustice. She recounts her experiences in Northeast Brazil, South Africa, and Cuba, where she observed and intervened in situations of extreme suffering and political conflict. In these contexts, she faced ethical dilemmas and resistance from local communities, but ultimately found that her involvement as a companionheira (companion and activist) enriched her understanding of the community and expanded her theoretical horizons. She criticizes the notion of false neutrality in the face of moral dramas and calls for anthropologists to take an ethical and political stand. Scheper-Hughes also discusses the role of anthropologists in representing suffering and violence, arguing that the harsh images of human misery often fail to evoke genuine shock or action. She advocates for a more alarmist and morally demanding approach, where anthropologists produce texts and images that challenge accepted norms and complicity. Finally, she critiques the postmodern critique of ethnography, which often reduces local contexts to global, transnational forces, and emphasizes the importance of local engagement and accountability.In "The Primacy of the Ethical: Propositions for a Militant Anthropology," Nancy Scheper-Hughes challenges the traditional stance of anthropologists, who often bracket Western Enlightenment truths to engage with alternative cultural truths, potentially suspending ethical considerations. She argues that cultural relativism, read as moral relativism, is no longer appropriate in a world where human rights and ethical standards are increasingly recognized globally. Scheper-Hughes emphasizes the need for anthropology to be ethically grounded and politically committed, particularly in addressing issues of suffering, violence, and injustice. She recounts her experiences in Northeast Brazil, South Africa, and Cuba, where she observed and intervened in situations of extreme suffering and political conflict. In these contexts, she faced ethical dilemmas and resistance from local communities, but ultimately found that her involvement as a companionheira (companion and activist) enriched her understanding of the community and expanded her theoretical horizons. She criticizes the notion of false neutrality in the face of moral dramas and calls for anthropologists to take an ethical and political stand. Scheper-Hughes also discusses the role of anthropologists in representing suffering and violence, arguing that the harsh images of human misery often fail to evoke genuine shock or action. She advocates for a more alarmist and morally demanding approach, where anthropologists produce texts and images that challenge accepted norms and complicity. Finally, she critiques the postmodern critique of ethnography, which often reduces local contexts to global, transnational forces, and emphasizes the importance of local engagement and accountability.