Meta-Ethics
Meta = Greek, loosely meaning the idea of something being
above/beyond.
Defining:
• The first stage in any scientific process is to define.
• For the meta ethicist, before we can discuss something, we must
establish what the term means/we must determine its definition.
Opinions and Propositions:
• Aristotle argued that propositions are statements which can affirm or
deny a predicate (part of a sentence that speaks about status of the
subject) of a subject.
• Eg “all men are mortal” and “Socrates is a man” = Aristotelian
propositions.
• The subject of the sentences are “men” and “Socrates”
• The predicates are “mortal” and “man”
• Aristotle argues that if we can confirm both predicates, we can make a
logical assumption that “Socrates is mortal” with no need to test.
Propositions have a truth value, not always truth:
• A proposition is not true. It has the potential to be true/false and
proven such.
• “The sun rises” is a proposition that has a truth value. This value
currently is true, but it might not always be so.
• “Coffee tastes better with milk” is not a proposition, it is an
opinion. It cannot be proven.
Truth Tables:
• Extremely useful for:
• Euthanasia
• Business Ethics
• Sexual Ethics
• As well as issues of contractions in Utilitarianism, Natural Law and
Situation Ethics.
Philosophy in the 19th and 20th Century:
• Continental Europe focuses on Continental Philosophy: this is a discipline
rooted in classical questions of what is life?, what is meaning?, is beauty
universal? etc.
• Britain, Holland, USA, Ireland, Australia = Analytic Philosophy
instead - about the analysis of language.
Analytic Philosophy:
, • Cannot discuss morality before understanding the terms being used, if
they are opinions then there is no point having a meaningful discussion.
• Ludwig Wittgenstein in ‘Tractatus Logico - Philosophicus’: “Whereof one
cannot speak, thereof one must be silent.”
• It is arguably easier to change someone’s ideas if they are based on
fact, than if they are based on their opinion.
• Cognitivism, Naturalism and Moral Realism:
• Cognitivism = meta-ethical position that ethical sentences express a
proposition and this can be true or false.
• Naturalism = branch of Cognitivism - ethical sentences can be true or
false, but the naturalists believe these values can be defined in terms
of natural properties - linked to empiricism.
• Moral Realism = position that all ethical terms are meaningful.
Ethical Naturalism:
• Ethical statements are the same as non ethical ones.
• They are factual and can be verified/falsified.
• eg. They see the statements, Thomas More was executed in 1535 and
Thomas More was a good man as the same type of statements, because
the search for evidence will prove them true OR false.
• G.E Moore calls these theories naturalistic because, “By nature, then, I do
mean and have meant that which is the subject-matter of the natural
sciences”
Thomas Aquinas:
• Natural Law shows a Naturalist position. Aquinas believed that the
world and everything in it has some sort of God-given order.
• Aquinas advocated for the observation and study of the world, in
order to understand our purpose.
• Aquinas’ Primary Precepts = naturalist positions eg. Worship /
Preservation of life has naturally morally “good” qualities.
F.H Bradley (1846-1924):
• Took the position that we can understand our moral duty by
observation of our status and position in society and our position
in life.
• “What he has to do depends on what his place is, what his function is, and
that all comes from his station in the organism.”
• —> what is good for me, comes from who I am.
• The criticism that is levelled at Bradley is that his view is perhaps
deterministic and it owes much to the status quo that was the Victorian
Era.
Meta = Greek, loosely meaning the idea of something being
above/beyond.
Defining:
• The first stage in any scientific process is to define.
• For the meta ethicist, before we can discuss something, we must
establish what the term means/we must determine its definition.
Opinions and Propositions:
• Aristotle argued that propositions are statements which can affirm or
deny a predicate (part of a sentence that speaks about status of the
subject) of a subject.
• Eg “all men are mortal” and “Socrates is a man” = Aristotelian
propositions.
• The subject of the sentences are “men” and “Socrates”
• The predicates are “mortal” and “man”
• Aristotle argues that if we can confirm both predicates, we can make a
logical assumption that “Socrates is mortal” with no need to test.
Propositions have a truth value, not always truth:
• A proposition is not true. It has the potential to be true/false and
proven such.
• “The sun rises” is a proposition that has a truth value. This value
currently is true, but it might not always be so.
• “Coffee tastes better with milk” is not a proposition, it is an
opinion. It cannot be proven.
Truth Tables:
• Extremely useful for:
• Euthanasia
• Business Ethics
• Sexual Ethics
• As well as issues of contractions in Utilitarianism, Natural Law and
Situation Ethics.
Philosophy in the 19th and 20th Century:
• Continental Europe focuses on Continental Philosophy: this is a discipline
rooted in classical questions of what is life?, what is meaning?, is beauty
universal? etc.
• Britain, Holland, USA, Ireland, Australia = Analytic Philosophy
instead - about the analysis of language.
Analytic Philosophy:
, • Cannot discuss morality before understanding the terms being used, if
they are opinions then there is no point having a meaningful discussion.
• Ludwig Wittgenstein in ‘Tractatus Logico - Philosophicus’: “Whereof one
cannot speak, thereof one must be silent.”
• It is arguably easier to change someone’s ideas if they are based on
fact, than if they are based on their opinion.
• Cognitivism, Naturalism and Moral Realism:
• Cognitivism = meta-ethical position that ethical sentences express a
proposition and this can be true or false.
• Naturalism = branch of Cognitivism - ethical sentences can be true or
false, but the naturalists believe these values can be defined in terms
of natural properties - linked to empiricism.
• Moral Realism = position that all ethical terms are meaningful.
Ethical Naturalism:
• Ethical statements are the same as non ethical ones.
• They are factual and can be verified/falsified.
• eg. They see the statements, Thomas More was executed in 1535 and
Thomas More was a good man as the same type of statements, because
the search for evidence will prove them true OR false.
• G.E Moore calls these theories naturalistic because, “By nature, then, I do
mean and have meant that which is the subject-matter of the natural
sciences”
Thomas Aquinas:
• Natural Law shows a Naturalist position. Aquinas believed that the
world and everything in it has some sort of God-given order.
• Aquinas advocated for the observation and study of the world, in
order to understand our purpose.
• Aquinas’ Primary Precepts = naturalist positions eg. Worship /
Preservation of life has naturally morally “good” qualities.
F.H Bradley (1846-1924):
• Took the position that we can understand our moral duty by
observation of our status and position in society and our position
in life.
• “What he has to do depends on what his place is, what his function is, and
that all comes from his station in the organism.”
• —> what is good for me, comes from who I am.
• The criticism that is levelled at Bradley is that his view is perhaps
deterministic and it owes much to the status quo that was the Victorian
Era.
