I would say that the emergence of "relativism" (as used in this article) is the acknowledgment of the reality of human existence: ultimately, people have the capacity to accept as truth and knowledge whatever they choose. Personality, theology, and ideology have been vehicles for asserting authority over people's minds. Some say science is an example of such authoritarianism, but I disagree with that proposition--though people do have the capacity to accept or reject even the findings of science.

How can people co-exist in societies in the face of the Truth that all (further) truth and knowledge is a matter of personal preference? How can we solve problems related to a social existence in the face of that level of individuality? Given that we have never in the history of our existence been anything but social beings, how can we even continue to exist as a species? Those are things we are about to start learning.