Meta-Ethics: Naturalism Flashcards
(18 cards)
Who coined the term naturalism?
G.E Moore
What did G.E Moore describe naturalism as?
A method that defined terms by replacing them with a property of a natural object
What is the key idea in ethical naturalism?
Objective moral laws exist independently of human beings and moral terms can be understood by analysing the natural world
Give an example of objective moral laws
Aquinas - goodness is linked to the will of God and his will defines morality; murder is wrong because God commands against murder
Mill and Bentham - goodness is a fact of pleasure or happiness
According to naturalism, are ethical statements cognitivist, analytic or meaningless?
Cognitivist - they can be facts which can be proved true or false through observation
According to Naturalism, can ethical statements be verified?
Yes
Are moral statements objective or subjective?
Objective and true in all situations, across all cultures and therefore universal
Who is the key thinker for naturalism?
F.H Bradley
What book did Bradley write?
Ethical studies
What did Bradley believe?
Moral perspectives are determined from self-realisation and observing one’s position within society. We can learn from our community and adopt the values of our society, and other communities which offer sound criticism
What must we do in order to be a good person according to Bradley?
Know our position and duties
Why does Bradley reject hedonism?
Pleasure provides no final self-understanding
Why does Bradley reject Kant’s idea of duty for the sake of duty?
It doesn’t guide us in morality or give human satisfaction
What does Bradley mean by arguing that ethical sentences express propositions?
They need to be verified to show whether they are true or false. Objective features of the world make propositions true or false. If objective features of the world is what makes propositions true or false, then meta-ethical statements can be seen scientifically
According to Bradley, how do we discover morality?
As part of a community
Morality is found by recognising that we have ‘stations’ in society and through applying our will to the duties that accompany those stations. By station, he means our social roles and with each of these, we have clear duties. Morality consists of applying our will to fulfil these duties. Morality is a practical way in which we live out our social lives
What does Bradley mean by stations?
Our social roles e.g a student or teacher, a daughter or son, member of a sports team
What 3 reasons does Bradley give for why the individualistic approach is incorrect?
Evolution - Darwin concluded that we are social animals. For we could not survive without the constant attention of the community
Heredity - humans are born with in-built dispositions and inherited traits. These can often be observed at birth, prior to the ‘individual’ learning from their sensations
Social formation - language itself is a community ‘product’; it shapes our lives and is part and parcel of our moral understanding
Does Bradley focus on the community or individual?
Community
