Meta-ethics

Question 1

What are the types of ethic

Answer 1

Descriptive = simple factual statement 
Normative = how to behave (saying)
Applied = applying normative ethics (doing)
Meta = what is good or bad/right or wrong

Question 2

How are meta-ethical theories broken down

Answer 2

Meta-ethics

1. Values are cognitive
   - Naturalism = utilitarianism
   - Non-naturalism = divine command theory, intuitionism
2. Values are non-cognitive
   - Non-cognitivism = emotivism

Question 3

Describe Christian divine command theory

Answer 3

God is the supreme good
Human behaviour should literally follow gods commands (Bible)
No reasoning applied, but can still be personal - interpretation

Question 4

What did John Calvin say about divine command theory

Answer 4

It is a natural result of the absolute power of God as he is the ultimate being - omnipotent

Question 5

What did Karl Bath say about divine command theory

Answer 5

A mans obedience to god is the answer to all questions about ethics.
Christian ethics is set apart from general discussions about good, and totally overrules fallible human debate.

Question 6

Evaluation of divine command theory

Answer 6

+ perfect for religious people as it grounds their moral behaviour in relation to their beliefs about God
+ the rules are universal, clear
+ life after death (sheep + goats)

• bible contains immoral commands (slavery, homosexuality)
• no free choice, not based on reason

Question 7

Explain the euthyphro dilemma as a criticism to divine command theory

Answer 7

‘Is conduct right because God commands it, or does God command it because it is right?’

if you accept the first option
- leads to a god that makes immoral commands (slaughter of children etc

if you accept the second option
- god loses omnipotence, morality is independent of god

Solution= William Ockham, whatever good commands is good/was good at that time. Even is this means murder etc

Question 8

What is naturalism

Answer 8

Moral values can be described in term of natural properties.

Grounded to the facts of nature

Question 9

Describe Benthams approach to utilitarianism

Answer 9

Pleasure is the most intrinsic good.
Pain and pleasure rule us.
We are to act in such a way as to seek the greatest happiness for the greatest number of people.
We are able to calculate it as it is observable - intensity, duration, extent, certainty etc.
No moral rules.

Question 10

Describe John Stuart Mills approach to utilitarianism

Answer 10

Described food in term of quality of life, not quantity of pleasure.
Pleasures are not all equal they are based on physical, social, intellectual aspects.
General moral laws have been created due to actions lacking any benefit for society - eg. Murder, stealing, lying

Question 11

Evaluation of utilitarianism/naturalism

Answer 11

+ gives factual base for morality (guidelines)
+ practical - forms basis of uk politics
+ takes into account the worth of people

• happiness varies between people so is impossible to define
• can never be sure of the future
• the naturalistic fallacy = can’t go from a description to a prescription, cant go from a statement of fact to a statement of ethics (an is to an ought). Pleasure is good, doesn’t mean we ought to seek pleasure - undefinable.

Question 12

What is intuitionism

Answer 12

Non-naturalist.
Our knowledge of right and wrong doesn’t come from evaluating results, nor as a logical conclusion, but though our moral intuitions
Beliefs not supported by anything.
Moral judgements are self-evident to those who hold them.

eg. The trolley problem
- utilitarian would switch the tracks and kill 1 over 5, but most of the time our intuition will make us do nothing

Question 13

What did WD Ross say about intuitionism

Answer 13

There are several duties we instinctively feel we must do - ‘prima facie’
- keep promises, return favours, not harm others, look after parents, not to lie
If there is a conflict between these, our moral intuition comes in and provides the best solution. Eg (Kants mad axeman = asks where the victim is, instead of telling the truth, lie to protect innocent - most would agree)

Question 14

What did GE Moore say about intuitionism

Answer 14

In order to avoid the naturalistic fallacy, he said Good is a term that cannot be explained or defined.
Moral values and right/wrong can be known, they cannot be discovered in the universe (non-natural)
Used the colour yellow as an example
- you can point to something yellow and say that it is yellow, but that does not explain what yellow is.

Question 15

Benthams quote about utilitarianism and pleasure/pain

Answer 15

“Nature has placed mankind under the governance of two sovereign masters, pleasure and pain.”

Question 16

Evaluation of intuitionism/non-naturalism

Answer 16

+ everyone has moral intuitions
+ statements can still be true or false

• no answer as to where these ideas comes from
• no justification makes it impossible to debate
• easily mounded by the society that surrounds you

Question 17

What is ethical non-cognitivism (emotivism)

Answer 17

The view that you cannot state facts about good. Ethics is about emotions and wishes.

Emotivism is the view that statements are merely emotional statements about a belief you hold. Eg, killing children is wrong is just is belief you hold being expressed as an emotion, much like laughing or shouting.