Meta Ethics

Question 1

what is meta ethics

Answer 1

The consideration of second order questions about the nature and purpose of morality.

Such as what is the meaning of “good”, “bad”, “right”, “wrong”.

Question 2

What are second order questions?

Answer 2

Questions about first order questions and the answers given to those questions.

Question 3

What is A priori

Answer 3

Knowledge prior to evidence.

Knowledge in not dependant on sense experience.

Question 4

What is A posteriori

Answer 4

Argument based on observations of the world.

Uses empirical facts and draws conclusions from them.

Question 5

Named scholars for Utilitarianism

Answer 5

Mill
Bentham

Question 6

Named scholars for Intuitionism

Answer 6

G.E.Moore
W.D.Ross

Question 7

Named scholars for Divine Command Theory

Answer 7

Karl Barth
John Calvin

Question 8

What is cognitivism

Answer 8

Claims that ethical judgements state facts so are objectively true or false.

Question 9

What is non-cognitivism

Answer 9

Claims that ethical judgements are not statements of facts therefore cannot be objectively true or false

Implies that moral knowledge is impossible.

Question 10

Ethical Subjectivism

Answer 10

The view that moral judgements merely state or express the emotions or preferences of the speaker.

Question 11

Ethical objectivism

Answer 11

The view that moral values are intrinsic and not dependent on anything outside them

Question 12

What would NML define good as

Answer 12

Abiding to precepts/Ten Commandments/word of God
Following what is natural

Question 13

What would SE define good as

Answer 13

What brings about Agapeic love

Question 14

What would VE define good as

Answer 14

Reaching Eudaimonia (happiness)
What is virtuous

Question 15

Analytic truth

Answer 15

True by definition
E.g. “A bachelor is an unmarried man” or “triangles have three sides”

Question 16

Synthetic truth

Answer 16

True by experience - needs empirical evidence/investigation
E.g. “Everything with a heart has a kidney” or “My village has a church”

Question 17

What is Humes fork

Answer 17

There are two objects of human enquiry:
1) Relations of ideas (a priori) -
Denial is self-contradictory – denial is inconceivable
Necessary truths – discoverable by thought
We don’t need to gather evidence

2) Matters of facts (a posteriori)-
Claims that are true, but denial is not inconceivable
Observations are needed

Question 18

How are moral uses of good, circular?

Answer 18

To say a good action is “excellent” or “the right thing to do”

This amounts to nothing more than “what is good is what I believe good is”

Something good from a moral perspective does not tell us why it is good. Only that the person considers it to be good.

Threfore circular argument.

Question 19

What is ought Problem

Answer 19

You cant go from matter of fact, observable statements of the world to ethical statements on how we ought to behave in the world.

Question 20

Who came up with the is-ought problem

Answer 20

Hume

Question 21

What does hume mean by “is”

Answer 21

Statements of the world
Can be dicovered by science
Matter of fact (independant to humans)

Question 22

What does Hume mean by “Ought”

Answer 22

Values (dependent on humans)
A judgement
E.G how humans should treat eachother or the world etc

Question 23

Best way Hume describes is/Ought arguments

Answer 23

illogical

Question 24

An example of an is ought error

Answer 24

Fruit IS full of vitamins
You OUGHT to eat fruit

HUme would suggest there has been a logical mishap here.

Question 25

Humes Is/Ought quote

Answer 25

"You cannot derive an ought from an is"

Question 26

Is the vitamin fruit argument really illogical?

Answer 26

Seems reasonable - if fruit contains vitamins then we should eat them as they are clearly good for us. First premise is true - science tells us this. However this isnt justified. The second statement is an ethical claim is subjective - illogical argument. STILL A GAP Why have vitamins just because they are good for you?

Question 27

what kind of theory is intuitionism

Answer 27

non-naturalist consequentalist cognitive secular ethics moral realist

Question 28

what is moral realism

Answer 28

exists independantly of persons objective moral values - moraality exists in external world and we can see and recognise it.

Question 29

what is non naturalism

Answer 29

moral knowledge known by factual property of intuitionism

Question 30

what is secular ethics

Answer 30

ethical theories and actions are based on human facilities such as reason and logic and not religious values

Question 31

what is naturalistic fallacy

Answer 31

the fault of attempting to define good in terms of natural properties not acceptable to confuse 'good' with natural properties

Question 32

GEMoores quote on naturalistic fallacy

Answer 32

naturalistic fallacy is committed when... "a philosopher attempts to prove a claim by defining good by using a natural property"

Question 33

what was GE moores comment on intrinsic goods and naturalistic theories

Answer 33

naturalistic theories define good as something identifiable in the world e.g happiness there is nothing intrinsically good about happiness it is only good if we define it as such - and not not everyone will agree.

Question 34

what is GE Moores open and closed argument

Answer 34

closed argument = makes no sense to ask - e.g does a triangle have 3 sides - only ignorant to ask as the meaning of triangle is three sides. open argument = any claim about what goodness is will A utilitarian could claim that goodness is happiness, however the question "is goodness happiness" remains open since goodness cannot be defined and therefore asking that question does not entail ignorance.

Question 35

basic premise of moral intuitionism

Answer 35

good cannot be defined in terms of any other ideas goodness is self evidence

Question 36

G.E Moore against naturalism

Answer 36

good is not synonumus to any ideas - no natural property can be identical to good as no natural property has "has to be doneness" built into them like good

Question 37

teachings of intuitionism

Answer 37

objective moral truths = independant to humans (cognitive) fundemental truths = cant be broken down from moral truths human beings can discover truths through intuition

Question 38

core beliefs of intuitionism

Answer 38

moral norms = objective existance - independant to human experience morality is intuitive - what feels to be true without conscious reasoning intuition tells us something is good. we just know it in situations. enables us to know basic truths so we are able to make ethical decisions

Question 39

GE Moore analogy and link to goodness

Answer 39

yellow can be recognised but not defined. same thing for good. we understand goodness like a fact

Question 40

GEMoores goodness quote

Answer 40

"good is good and that is the end of the matter"

Question 41

how is intuitionism a consequentalist theory

Answer 41

can work out right and wrong through impact of our consequences we simply know what actions are right good comes from consequence not reason - teleological

Question 42

can moral statements be proven?

Answer 42

not empiracally dont use scientific observation to percieve good moral judgements = incapable of being proved

Question 43

simple vs complex ideas

Answer 43

complex ideas = ideas cant be broken down using other ideas - e.g horse - define and reduce to mammal or herbivor simple ideas = cant be broken down - e.g yellow - cannot describe in any other way but yellow - has no synonmn

Question 44

W.d Ross and rightness

Answer 44

What is right is unique depending on what is “morally suitable” for the situation a person is in Base judgements on what’s right and wrong on intuition

Question 45

What does Ross agree with Moore on

Answer 45

That there are real objective truths

Question 46

What did WDRoss say on conflicting duties Include example

Answer 46

For example a doctor sees it as her duty to keep this seriously ill person as pain-free as possible but equally that is her duty to avoid killing her patient There comes a point as the quantities of painkilling drugs increase to meet the first duty that is can speed up the patients death as a consequence therefore conflicting the second duty

Question 47

What are WD Ross Duties

Answer 47

Keep promises Pay back the home we do to others Not to injure others Return favours and service is given to us by others Not harm innocent people Look after parents

Question 48

WT Rosses quote on the prima Facey duties

Answer 48

“What we should do is determined by the balance of these responsibilities “

Question 49

What does prima Facey mean

Answer 49

At first Face

Question 50

What do the prima facie mean and how do humans use them

Answer 50

If There are no conflicting circumstances between his duties then each duty is absolute however if there is confliction then you have to balance them and consider what to do We should be reasonable and sensible enough to work this out as we have reason and the ability to critically judge

Question 51

WD Ross in the example of the mad ax murderer

Answer 51

More intuition in this example we need to use our common sense to tell us what we ought to do If a mad ax murderer knocks on our door and asked For you to tell him where about is an innocent victim is you have a prima Facey duty to protect the innocent The intent of saving the victims life is more important than going against the problem of lying This is the intuitive truth

Question 52

Three main strengths of intuitionism

Answer 52

Allows us to answer issues clearly and instantly Appeals to human nature – we use our intuition to decide right from wrong Avoid complex debate as to what is good because we cannot define good Avoids the problem of subjectivism and also identifying ethics with a natural property

Question 53

Weaknesses of intuitionism

Answer 53

Most people think morality is subjective or based on emotions Intuitionism comes from different routes – cultural conditioning Intuitionism will allow anyone to get away with anything Some philosophers Criticised Moores analogy of yellow and while ones person may see good as one thing another can see good in a completly different light Therefore the issue of ethical colour blindness