7: Meta-Ethics
Meta-ethics 'After ethics' where we examine how much meaning moral claims have
Morality Principles concerning the distinction between right and wrong or good and bad
behaviour
The extent to which an action is right or wrong
Suggestions You can see the consequences of your actions; even if we make our own morality it
morality exists can be real; empathy and love exist; we don't always act in self-interest
Suggestions There is no basis for it without God; nothing is inherently good or bad; people disagree
morality is a lie about morality; the is-ought gap; different cultures have different ideas about morality
Objective There is such a thing as objective moral truth that exists for all people of every time and
Moral Truth place; it holds that goodness is an actual reality that exists in itself.
Objective It is powerful because it provides assurance on what we should and should not do. If
Moral Truth moral truth is objective we can be confident in how to live and the kinds of laws we
Advantages need. Rights could be more strongly defended as certainties of the world
Subjective Moral truth is what a person perceives it to be and is not a fixed thing
Moral Truth
Subjective It is a reflection of what we as individuals personally believe and allows for variations
Moral Truth between cultures and for freedom to choose.
Advantages
Subjective It cannot bind other people and can not be relied upon for a system of justice and law-
Moral Truth making
Disadvantages
Naturalism Empiricist
(Definism) Absolutists who believe that morals are objectively true
Hold that moral evil and goodness are absolute facts of the natural world
Believe that moral truths exist and moral language has meaning
Observable facts can define good
It seeks to define good by using other things
F.H. Bradley Naturalist
Argued that the social order and your position in that order decide your moral duties.
The position you hold in a community is not accidental. Each individual becomes one
with the Good Will by accepting their station and duties. Ethics is something that can be
explained by the concrete absolute reality we observe
F.H. Bradley Social mobility is seen as a good thing (American Dream)
Evaluation Society is not always right and things can improve when people challenge their station
The world as it is is not necessarily as it ought to be
Philippa Foot Naturalist
Suggests that moral evil is a kind of natural defect. Moral people have qualities which is
why they carry out certain actions and this can be observed - we can perceive moral
absolutes. Humans have developed rules to ensure that everyone can live happily
together. These rules are natural and absolute and if they are followed or broken can
be easily observed
J.L. Mackie Moral rules can be observed but they are based on tradition rather than absolute
constructs. Rules are not absolutes, they are accepted to varying degrees by those in
the institution. Following rules is not the same as acting logically in response to agreed-
upon facts, it is acting in accordance with social expectations
Intuitionism The theory that humans have a natural faculty that gives us an intuitive awareness of
(non-definism) morality
G.E. Moore Intuitionist
Intrinsically good things exist but they cannot be broken down and analysed. Good is a
simple, undefinable thing, like yellow, you know it when you see it, as opposed to
complex ideas e.g. horses which can be described. 'everything is what it is and is not
another thing'. The naturalistic fallacy is the attempt to define good through other things
e.g. utilitarianism - good = happiness. Intuition is what perceives moral goodness - not
our senses.
H.A. Prichard Intuitionist
There are two types of thinking: intuition and reasoning. Reason collects the facts and
decided which course to follow - it identifies which obligations are greater. Morals differ
because some people have greater clarity about moral intuitions. People may have a
different set of facts or their reasoning is flawed. We may experience doubt because
Meta-ethics 'After ethics' where we examine how much meaning moral claims have
Morality Principles concerning the distinction between right and wrong or good and bad
behaviour
The extent to which an action is right or wrong
Suggestions You can see the consequences of your actions; even if we make our own morality it
morality exists can be real; empathy and love exist; we don't always act in self-interest
Suggestions There is no basis for it without God; nothing is inherently good or bad; people disagree
morality is a lie about morality; the is-ought gap; different cultures have different ideas about morality
Objective There is such a thing as objective moral truth that exists for all people of every time and
Moral Truth place; it holds that goodness is an actual reality that exists in itself.
Objective It is powerful because it provides assurance on what we should and should not do. If
Moral Truth moral truth is objective we can be confident in how to live and the kinds of laws we
Advantages need. Rights could be more strongly defended as certainties of the world
Subjective Moral truth is what a person perceives it to be and is not a fixed thing
Moral Truth
Subjective It is a reflection of what we as individuals personally believe and allows for variations
Moral Truth between cultures and for freedom to choose.
Advantages
Subjective It cannot bind other people and can not be relied upon for a system of justice and law-
Moral Truth making
Disadvantages
Naturalism Empiricist
(Definism) Absolutists who believe that morals are objectively true
Hold that moral evil and goodness are absolute facts of the natural world
Believe that moral truths exist and moral language has meaning
Observable facts can define good
It seeks to define good by using other things
F.H. Bradley Naturalist
Argued that the social order and your position in that order decide your moral duties.
The position you hold in a community is not accidental. Each individual becomes one
with the Good Will by accepting their station and duties. Ethics is something that can be
explained by the concrete absolute reality we observe
F.H. Bradley Social mobility is seen as a good thing (American Dream)
Evaluation Society is not always right and things can improve when people challenge their station
The world as it is is not necessarily as it ought to be
Philippa Foot Naturalist
Suggests that moral evil is a kind of natural defect. Moral people have qualities which is
why they carry out certain actions and this can be observed - we can perceive moral
absolutes. Humans have developed rules to ensure that everyone can live happily
together. These rules are natural and absolute and if they are followed or broken can
be easily observed
J.L. Mackie Moral rules can be observed but they are based on tradition rather than absolute
constructs. Rules are not absolutes, they are accepted to varying degrees by those in
the institution. Following rules is not the same as acting logically in response to agreed-
upon facts, it is acting in accordance with social expectations
Intuitionism The theory that humans have a natural faculty that gives us an intuitive awareness of
(non-definism) morality
G.E. Moore Intuitionist
Intrinsically good things exist but they cannot be broken down and analysed. Good is a
simple, undefinable thing, like yellow, you know it when you see it, as opposed to
complex ideas e.g. horses which can be described. 'everything is what it is and is not
another thing'. The naturalistic fallacy is the attempt to define good through other things
e.g. utilitarianism - good = happiness. Intuition is what perceives moral goodness - not
our senses.
H.A. Prichard Intuitionist
There are two types of thinking: intuition and reasoning. Reason collects the facts and
decided which course to follow - it identifies which obligations are greater. Morals differ
because some people have greater clarity about moral intuitions. People may have a
different set of facts or their reasoning is flawed. We may experience doubt because
