Meta-ethical Theories

Question 1

Naturalism

Answer 1

Values can be defined in terms of some natural property of the world

Question 2

Intuitionism

Answer 2

Basic moral truths are indefinable but self-evident

Question 3

Emotivism

Answer 3

Ethical terms simply evince approval or disapproval

Question 4

Naturalist arguments

Answer 4

BKEBFAPF

Bentham, Kant, Evolution, FH Bradley, Foot, Aquinas, Popper, Fletcher

Question 5

Bentham

Answer 5

(N) Goodness= pleasure, measure happiness using hedonic calculus- cognitive as we have criteria

Question 6

Kant

Answer 6

(N) Categorical imperatives that are right for entire group of people

Question 7

Evolution

Answer 7

(N) Whatever gives evolutionary advantage is good

Question 8

FH Bradley

Answer 8

(N) Universal and concrete duty through observation of society and our place in it

Question 9

Foot

Answer 9

(N) “moral evil is a kind of natural defect”, draws on Aristotle’s observations of nature’s patterns, oak tree+ Kropotkin

Question 10

Aquinas

Answer 10

(N) Can perceive morals from telos

Question 11

Popper

Answer 11

(N) Least pain is morally correct

Question 12

Fletcher

Answer 12

(N) Agape is morally correct

Question 13

Intuitionist arguments

Answer 13

MPR

Moore, Prichard, Ross

Question 14

Moore

Answer 14

(I) Naturalism commits naturalistic fallacy- good is “totally indefinable”, either recognise or not, “yellow”, Dylan Roof simply morally blind-> Warnock- simply sense of bewilderment, claiming 6th sense with no agreement on what it is

Question 15

Prichard

Answer 15

(I) Not only good indefinable, also the idea of “obligation”- reason collects facts and intuition chooses greater obligation= more developed

Question 16

Ross

Answer 16

(I) Prima facie duties e.g. fidelity, reparation= obey greater duty

Question 17

Emotivist arguments

Answer 17

ASJHL

Ayer, Stevenson, Jung, Hume+Locke, (Warnock), (Wittgenstein)

Question 18

Ayer

Answer 18

(E) Cannot be verified analytically or synthetically-> Wittgenstein= language games have meaning to those playing

Question 19

Stevenson

Answer 19

(E) Deeply held beliefs

Question 20

Jung

Answer 20

(E) Collective unconscious ethics

Question 21

Hume+Locke

Answer 21

(E) Purely empirical

Question 22

Intuitionist counters

Answer 22

Warnock- Intuitionism is simply a sense of “bewilderment”

Wittgenstein- Anti-realist= Language can have meaning but only because we give it meaning