Metaethics

Question 1

What is meta ethics ?

Answer 1

-Meta-ethics is the branch of moral philosophy that examines the meaning and nature of ethical language
-It asks what we mean when we say something is “good”, “bad”, “right”, or “wrong”

Question 2

How is meta-ethics different from normative ethics?

Answer 2

-Unlike normative ethics, which tries to determine what actions are right or wrong, meta-ethics focuses on the language and meaning of moral terms and whether moral values are factual or just expressions of emotion

Question 3

What are the two main debates in meta-ethics?

Answer 3

-Whether moral statements are objective or subjective.
-Whether they are cognitive (can be known/proven) or non-cognitive (cannot be known/proven).

Question 4

What does it mean if ethical values are cognitive?

Answer 4

It means ethical statements are factual and can be proved or known, like scientific facts e.g. “Stealing is wrong” is cognitive if it’s based on evidence or reasoning, such as the harm it causes to society (as in Utilitarianism)

Question 5

What does it mean if ethical values are non- cognitive?

Answer 5

It means ethical statements are not factual and cannot be proven true or false, often expressing emotions or commands e.g. Saying “Stealing is wrong” in Emotivism just expresses disapproval, like saying “Boo to stealing!” — it doesn’t state a fact