Meta eth Explained Flashcards
(8 cards)
What is Cultural Relativism?
Moral norms and values vary widely between cultures; there are no universal moral truths. What is considered ‘right’ in one culture may be ‘wrong’ in another. Morality is relative to social customs and traditions.
What is Emotivism?
Moral statements are expressions of emotional attitudes or feelings rather than factual claims. Saying ‘Stealing is wrong’ is like saying ‘Boo stealing!’ - it expresses disapproval but does not state an objective truth.
What is Nietzsche’s Perspectivism?
There are no universal or absolute moral truths; all knowledge and values are interpreted from particular perspectives shaped by power dynamics and individual or cultural viewpoints. Morality is created, not discovered.
What is Natural Law Theory?
Morality is objective and grounded in human nature and purpose. Certain moral principles, like the preservation of life, are universal because they align with the natural order and human flourishing.
What is Kantian Deontology?
Morality is objective and based on rational principles called categorical imperatives. These are universal moral laws that apply to all rational beings, such as ‘Do not lie,’ which must be followed regardless of consequences.
What is Moral Realism?
Moral properties like ‘good’ are objective and real, though they may be indefinable. Humans have an intuitive awareness of these moral facts, which exist independently of opinions or cultural beliefs.
What is Rawls’ Overlapping Consensus?
Even if moral principles are subjectively held within different cultures, there can be agreement on some core objective principles that allow for social cooperation across diverse moral views.
What is Mackie’s Error Theory?
Although morality appears objective, it is actually a human social construct without independent existence. Moral claims are systematically mistaken because they assume objective values that do not exist.
