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Meta-ethicsMeta-ethics- The analysis of ethical language

Cognitivist Non-cognitivist

Moral truths exist and can be verified by empirical

support. Ethical statements are therefore about facts.

Non-Cognitivists argue that they are simply a matter of personal choice. They are subjective feelings or opinions.

Intuitionism

Absolute and strong relist theory. Theory originatesfrom WD Ross and GE Moore in the 20h Century.

It states that moral norms have objective existence that

is independent of human experience. Instead believes

morality is intuitive. This means we cannot define good

and bad. GE Moore said, If asked what is good my

answer is good is good.

GE Moore invented an analogy to explain

intuitionism,We know what yellow is and can recognize

it whether we see it, but we cant actually define yellow.In the same way we know what good is. But that we

cannot actually define it.

He said we do not need to experience something to

know it is wrong: We have not murdered someone yet

we know it is bad.

Intuitionists believe that there are foundation moral

principles from which we get our laws. Ross called these

principles prima facie and expressed them to be self-

evident.

1. Beneficence (being generous and kind toothers)

2. Faithfulness in relationships3. Gratitude for favours done to you4. Justice5. Non-maleficence (not being hurtful to

others)

6. Promise keeping7. Self improvement

Moore did accept that we are capable of making the

wrong intuitional decision. However many Intuitionists

would argue that as it is intrinsic then it cant be wrong.

Emotivism (Boo-Hurrah)

Originates from Ayer. Ethical statements are an emotionalresponse to a situation.

Emotivism is a non-cognitive theory, which came out of the logic al

positivist position of the Vienna circle. They believed that

absolute truths were based on empirical scientific knowledge. The

Vienna Circle saw its job as the analytic of words, sentences and

arguments to create a more modern scientific understanding of

philosophy. This came to be known as the Verification Principle.

The conclusions of the Vienna Circle were that Religious Language

cannot be verified and neither can ethical language. They knewhowever that initially tried to undermine the concept of morality

but soon realized that they needed i t for society to run.

Ayers solution to the problem of ethical language is known as

Emotivism. It is sometimes called the Boo-Hurrah theory as it

argues that our morals are determined by the feelings and

opinions of others. When we are saying something is good it is

like an emotional responses that says hurrah to it and if we say

something is bad it is like we are booing it.

For example, the 10 Commandments state that stealing in wrong.

Ayer argued that we couldnt prove this through Science or Logic(there may be times when logic would argue stealing to be right).

It is simply an expression of Moral Disapproval for an action based

on a persons feelings about that act : You wouldnt want

someone to stealfrom you, as it would upset you so stealing iswrong.

He argued that ethical statements are designed to get an

emotional response from someone, he calls this commands

which are designed to provoke the reader to action of a certain

sort.

Prescriptivism

Invented by Hare. Goodness comes from a desire forothers to have the same moral values as us.

Like a doctor that will prescribe a drug for us because it is

what we ought to take to make us better, ethical

statements are about what we think ought to be done. For

example if I say charity is good, I am not just saying that I

think charity is good or that emotionally I feel good about

charity but that I want everyone in the world to share my

view that charity is good. I want to prescribe my views on

others.

He argued for universalizability, the idea that if you refer

one thing rather than another then you think this would be

good for everyone.

There are four basic ideas:

1. Morality must be about doing not just thinking. If youbelieve

2. Something is right you must act on it and actually do it.Your ethical action has to be consistent, you cant keep

changing ideas3. Moral beliefs must be kept in harmony with others, in

other words not cause war or chaos etc.

4. You cannot be a hypocrite and say one thing but doanother.

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Other views

Meta-ethics

Prichard

IntuitionismThere is no definition to ought but like Moores definition ofgood we recognize its properties. Everyone realises we ought to

do something,. Pritchard thought there were 2 types of

thinking- reasoning and intuition.

He addressed the problem of people with different morals and

said that out intuition is different, as some people had

developed their morals more.

Cognitivist

Moral truths exist and can be verified by empirical support. Ethical statements are therefore about facts.

Ethical naturalism

There are defined laws, which exist in nature. These laws are objective and goodness can beverified by looking at whether we fulfill natures definition.

Ethical Naturalism believes that there is an objective moral law, certain moral truths which always

apply. We can understand what these are by analyzing the natural world around us and looking at

human nature. This is a cognitive stance as it says that we can verify if some statements such as I

am a good person are right by looking at whether I fulfill natures definition of good.

David Hume argued that a statement such as murder is wrong can be seen to be true because the

preservation of life is central to existence for human beings, it is within our nature to try andpreserve life. Therefore such a statement because an objective (unchanging) moral truth.

This stance is opposed by both some cognitive and non- cognitive positions. Non-Cognitivists would

argue that moral propositions (factual moral statements) dont actually exist. They would use the

naturalistic fallacy, which also came from Hume to argue against it. The naturalistic fallacy states

just because nature acts in a certain way doesnt mean that is how it ought to be. Hume instead

argues that human nature is the only basis for morality and therefore he is guilt of the naturalistic

fallacy. Some cognitivists although agreeing with ethical naturalism that there is a set moral law, do

not like the way that it claims this all comes from a single source (our study of nature).

CL Stevenson

A more detailed version of emotivismHe discussed the emotive meaning of words- many moral terms

are both descriptive and emotive. Ethical statements are the

attempts to influence others as well as a vent to out feelings.

Ethical statements are subjective opinions.

Exam Questions

Ethical language has no purpose as it does not provide any answers, Discuss.

Understanding ethical language can help in making moral decision, Discuss.

Prescriptivism means that words such as good and bad have absolute meaning, Discuss.

Learning what right and wrong mean is the most important purpose of ethical language.

Discuss.

To what extent is ethical language meaningful?

Discuss the strengths and weaknesses of emotivism.

Discuss the strengths and weaknesses of ethical naturalism.