Metaethics

Question 1

What is META-ETHICS and NORMATIVE ETHICS?

Answer 1

“Meta” means above or beyond.

Going beyond NORMATIVE ETHICAL THEORIES

Determines what is MEANT by terms used in ethics.

-Normative ethics decides which actions are GOOD and BAD and provides a guide for MORAL BEHAVIOUR. E.g. Utilitarianism or Kantian Ethics

Question 2

People often say “good” “bad” “right” and “wrong”.
There is debate as to whatever words are merely:
-Stating an OPINION
-Stating FACT.

Many argue that ETHICAL LANGUAGES must be about FACTS because…

Answer 2

• Otherwise we could not have a MEANINGFUL discussion about MORALITY. There must be a standard.
• Meta-ethics tries to determine whether or not Ethical Language is meaningful.

Question 3

Ethical Language can be split into two types:

-

1. ) COGNITIVE language
2. ) NON-COGNITIVE language

Answer 3

1. ) COGNITIVE language- conveys INFORMATION.. Moral statements describe the world so are either TRUE or FALSE.
2. ) NON-COGNITIVE language- moral statements are SUBJECTIVE express feelings/opinions and cannot be described as TRUE or FALSE.

Question 4

What are the COGNITIVE THEORIES?

Answer 4

• Ethical Naturalism

- Intuitionism

Question 5

What is ETHICAL NATURALISM?

Answer 5

• COGNITIVE theory developed from empiricism. Advocated by philosophers such as F.H Bradley.
• Maintains that ethical terms can be defined or explained using same NATURAL TERMS used to define SCIENTIFIC STATEMENTS.
• Holds that ethical statements are the same as non-ethical natural ones as they are all factual and can be verified or falsified by looking at EVIDENCE.

Question 6

Example of how ETHICAL NATURALISM works:

1. ) Osama bin Laden died in 2011
2. ) Osama bin Laden was a bad man

Answer 6

The first statement is factual. Can be proven true or false bye eye-witness accounts or death certificates.

Second statement is ETHICAL. Be proven TRUE or FALSE in the same way. Looking at evidence such as PERSONAL BEHAVIOUR and consequences of his actions.

So ETHICAL NATURALISTS believe an ethical statement can be verified or falsified by looking at EVIDENCE in the natural world to test the VERACITY of the statement. So has an OBJECTIVE meaning.