Intuitionism

Question 1

What is intuitionism?

Answer 1

• the meta ethical theory which states that moral truths are known by intuition (instinctively)
  -The claim that moral facts can be known and exist independently of human beings
• a form of perception in reaction to an a posterior observation

Question 2

Moore’s logical reasoning

Answer 2

• we can’t define good through natural properties
• moral values are irreducible so we should recognise them as such
• therefore we come to moral judgements and what is good because we just know how to - it’s intuitive

Question 3

Moore’s ’good’ quotes

Answer 3

• Good is simple, indefinable and unanalysable
• good is a simple notion, just as yellow is a simple notion

Question 4

Moral truths can be discovered by using our minds in a intuitive way

Answer 4

• intuition is an immediate apprehension or understanding of self evident propositions
• intuitionists believe that moral truths present themselves to the mind as true and these are self justifying - cannot be justified with evidence

Question 5

Intuitive ability is innate and for same for all moral agents

Answer 5

• human beings have the in built ability to know intuitively the difference between right and wrong
• Moore argued that good is self evident and indefinable
• an obvious truth is relative to whoever is viewing it so what is obvious to one won’t be as obvious to the other
• everyone has an innate awareness of the objective, self evident truth of what ‘goodness’ is, which is revealed through intuition

Question 6

Intuition needs a mature mind so not infallible

Answer 6

• a proposition isn’t true just because it is easily understood through intuition
• therefore being mature and level headed helps understand a true proposition as well as a false one.
• Ross claimed they give us a prima facie reason to believe them unless there is evidence to the contrary.

Question 7

H.A Pritchard

Answer 7

• to know a moral duty, the moral agent must understand the situation fully
• moral duties/beliefs develop once you understand the environment/situation the person is in

Question 8

Intuition allows for objective moral values

Answer 8

• 2 errors we must prevent
• 1) we must guard against considering something to be good only because it is instrumental in achieving something else
• for something to be intrinsically good, it must be good independent of anything else.
  -2) we must guard against assuming there is just one feature that makes something good
• what is good is objective and universal In its goodness

Question 9

What are the challenges to intuitionism?

Answer 9

• no proof of moral intuition exists
• intuitive truths can differ widely
• no obvious way to resolve conflicting intuition
• objective truths don’t exist
• intuition is just a product of our upbringing

Question 10

No proof of moral intuition exists

Answer 10

• humans having intuition is good but doesn’t stand up to inspection
• it isn’t a process of reasoning
• moral intuition isn’t as known to many so can’t be used effectively
• these moral rules/feelings are a result of breaking mental rules of conduct or breaching cultural rather than of breaking objective rules.

Question 11

Intuitive ‘truths’ can differ widely

Answer 11

• views on moral truths are based on our daily lives e.g Moore lived a quite and academic life. This view would differ from someone who lives a loud outgoing life.
• Jeff McMahon : white Americans believed slavery was morally right because they participated in it. Whereas others saw it was wrong based on their oppression they faced and their intuitive ideas on equality and freedom

Question 12

No obvious way to resolve conflicting intuitions

Answer 12

-beliefs on moral rights and wrongs would cause conflict
- if everything is judge intuitively (not evidencially) there’s no way to resolve issues correctly

Question 13

Objective truths don’t exist

Answer 13

• objective truths are aren’t factual, they’re just statements about how we feel about a situation
• we will never know the ‘truth’ even if it objectively existed because ‘knowing’ requires scientific fashion

Question 14

Intuition is just a product of our upbringing

Answer 14

• intuition is based on experience, not objective
• when we are praised for something our mind turns this into what we believe to be intuition.