Meta Ethics

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Meta ethics, key terms and thinkers
Keren Davies
Flashcards by Keren Davies , updated more than 1 year ago
Keren Davies
Created by Keren Davies over 7 years ago
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Resource summary

Question Answer
Intuitionism Ethical principles are known innately through intuition
G.E. Moore (Principa Ethica) Good - indefinable simple idea Yellow Can't be proved empirically
Simple Idea Can't be broken down eg. yellow
Complex idea Broken down into constituent parts eg. horse = quadruped, herbivore, mammal...
Naturalistic fallacy Moral judgements aren't fact. Can't describe "good" via natural properties such as pleasing
H.A. Pritchard Thinking - course of action Reasoning - collects facts Intuition weighs obligation based on facts
W.D. Ross (Foundation of Ethics) Prima Facie duties to follow over alternate over riding obligation Guide not rule Difference between right and good
Prima Facie Promise, reparation, gratitude, justice, beneficience, self-improvement & non-maleficence - correct but incomplete
Criticism of Intuitionism Intuitionists disagree on self evident principle. Moore = teleological Ross = duty based
Ethical naturalism Objective moral principles that we have empirical knowledge of Immoral = fact & perception of wrongness
Theological naturalism Aquinas - goodness is linked to God's will God defines morality
Hedonic naturalists Goodness = fact of pleasure Perry, "good is object of favour", "right is conducive to happiness"
F.H Bradley (Ethical Studies) Morals - self realisation & position Learnt from family, community - station = duties
Emotivism Ethical non-naturalism
Vienna Circle Logical positivists acted on the Vf principle.
Hume Cant's go from factual statement "is" to moral "ought"
Synthetic Tested by sense perception
Analytic True by definition
Boo-hurrah All moral statements are merely expressions of preference, no one is right
Who invented Boo-hurrah? A. J. Ayer (Language, truth and logic)
Two elements of moral judgement (C. L. Stevenson) Expression of attitude based on belief Persuasive element to influence
According to Stevenson, what were moral disagreements? Not disagreements at all, agree upon principle but not the course of action. Only real if considering right and wrong
Criticisms of emotivism James Rachels - wrong to remove reason from ethics, more to moral statements than feeling (boo-hurrah) Reduces common reaction to atrocities
Strength of Emotivism Important contribution to ethical language as important. Raised q's about normative approaches.
What is prescriptivism? Objective moral statements which command and act as a guide in moral decision making
What is universalisability? Moral statements eg. Golden Rule, extend to all similar situations.
Who established prescriptivism? R. M. Hare (Language and Morals)
Strength of prescriptivism Requires that moral system maintains common rules.
Criticisms of Prescriptivism J. L. Mackie - rejects universalisability, claims people have different preferences so Golden Rule could not always dictate the best course of action
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