1.1.1 Introduction to meta-ethics

Question 1

Briefly explain meta-ethics

Answer 1

Some philosophers think moral statements are akin to scientific facts, while others think they are more like opinions or expressions of emotion: this is meta-ethics.

The word “meta” comes from Greek, meaning “beyond” or “about itself”.

Meta-ethics is not about what is right or wrong (normative ethics). Instead, it’s about thinking beyond ethics - asking, ‘What do we mean when we say something is ‘good’ or bad’’?; are moral statements facts, or just opinions?

Question 2

What is morality in relation to meta-ethics?

Answer 2

• meta-ethics is concerned with the nature of moral language & what we mean when we talk about right & wrong
• it asks big questions about the origin & truth of moral claims
• some of these big questions include:

1. What does “good” mean? Is “good” an objective fact (something true for everyone), or is it just an expression of personal opinion?
2. Is morality something we discover (facts), or something we create (rules)?
3. Can we prove that one thing is morally right or wrong?

Question 3

What is considered one of the most important issues in ethics?

Answer 3

‘whether ethical dilemmas are subjective or objective’ i.e. are they based on personal preference or on external facts?

Question 4

What does it mean for morality to be ‘objective’?

Answer 4

• if morality is objective, then it is cognitive or realist & its language deals with making claims about things that can be known & can be held to be true or false
• in other words, it suggests the possible existence of moral knowledge that can be discovered & known
• this is turn suggests the existence of an ultimate moral truth, possibly coming from a source of such truth, namely God