Meta-ethics basics

Question 1

What is absolutism?

Answer 1

The view that morals are fixed, unchanging truths that everyone should always follow

Question 2

What is relativism?

Answer 2

The view that moral truths are not fixed and not absolute. What is right changes according to the individual, the situation, the culture, time and place

Question 3

What is normative ethics?

Answer 3

This decides which things are good and bad and gives us a guide for moral behaviour - how people ought to act, how they make moral choices and how the rules apply

Question 4

What is meta-ethics?

Answer 4

This looks at the language we use to express morality

Question 5

What is the significant issue surrounding meta-ethics?

Answer 5

Whether ethical knowledge and language is subjective or objective, and whether moral knowledge is cognitive or non-cognitive

Question 6

Who is seen as the father of meta-ethics?

Answer 6

David Hume

Question 7

What is empirical evidence?

Answer 7

Information gained using sensory data

Question 8

What does cognitive mean?

Answer 8

A statement that is subject to being true or false

Question 9

What does non-cognitive mean?

Answer 9

A statement that is not verifiable or falsifiable and so cannot be tested