Meta Ethics A02 and Essay Plans

Question 1

Strengths of a cognitive approach to ethics

Answer 1

• Allows for moral truths to exist
• we can judge individuals according to a moral standard
• Ethical debates and discussion have meaning. This promotes human reason and the development of morality.

Question 2

Weaknesses of a cognitive approach to ethics

Answer 2

• Disagreements amongst society in regard to moral absolutes would seem to make this theory useless.
• does not solve the problem of what absolute to promote
• Often it seems as though moral statements are expressions of a belief informed by society.

Question 3

Strengths of a non-cognitive approach to ethics

Answer 3

• allows for moral relativism to exist
• can have different responses to scenarios and a situation
• Removes the absolute power of one ethical code and the forcing of this code to other people

Question 4

Strengths of ethical naturalism

Answer 4

• allows us to make concrete statements about the things we see around us.
• gives objective meaning and definition to the moral statements we make.
• some of the assertions which are made in different forms of ethical naturalism could be argued to be empirically true in light of ‘a priori’ observations.
• encourages research and development of the sciences
• provides absolute answers
• encourages us to fulfil telos

Question 5

Weaknesses of ethical naturalism

Answer 5

• GE MOORE in Principa Ethica states that Ethical Naturalism makes a basic mistake that ethical statements can be verified using empirical evidence.
• does not allow for moral dispute as once the majority have agreed it cannot be questioned.
• Even for naturalist ‘good’ does not exist as it is subject to so many factors
• We cannot support Bradley’s assertion of a consistent universe- especially when we have consistent changing morals.
• It is too simplistic- Naturalistic fallacy

Question 6

Strengths of intuitionism

Answer 6

• takes is/ought challenge seriously
• there is widespread agreement on moral intuitions
• defends the existence of moral facts

Question 7

Weaknesses of intuitionism

Answer 7

• people can have different intuitions on a topic- HA Pritchard voices on this.
• Unclear of what the phenomenon of an ‘inuituion’ is
• idea of an extra ability not able to be analysed by senses seems far fetched.

Question 8

Arguments for moral realism

Answer 8

• Shaked moral values: broad agreement on moral values, such as rape or unprovoked killing being wrong (HOWEVER: cultural variation in morality and issues, such as abortion=not always a consensus)
• Moral progress: made progress on topic such as slavery and racism, implying that our ethical language does describe real things.
• the need for standard: if there is no objective right and wrong there can be no absolute standards- no reason why fairness is better than cannibalism if no norms= uncomfortable.
• can discuss ethics- emotivism prevents intelligent and reason discussion if just a boo hurrah.

Question 9

Arguments for moral anti-realism

Answer 9

• lack of shared moral values
• difficult for those who do not believe in a moral progress to justify this as a reason for realism- do not have to have a standard- if morality is subjective and not based on facts the difficulties of the naturalistic fallacy and is/ought gap are avoided