Naturalism

• What does the term ‘naturalism‘ mean?


  • The view that moral values can be described in terms of NATURAL PROPERTIES (such as love or happiness).
  • In other words, moral values are an objective part of the furniture pr the universe they exist and can be describes, and it is THEREFORE POSSIBLE FOR US TO DISCOVER AND UNDERSTAND THEM.
• How are naturalist ethical views described as?

  Realist
• Summarise the essence of naturalism:


  In essense, naturalism is grounded in the FACTS OF NATURE, or in the FACTS OF HUMAN NATURE.
• Why isn’t DCT part of naturalism?


  It is far from being grounded in the facts of nature, or human nature. Morality is grounded in the commands of a transcendent God.
• How can you work out if you’re an ethical naturalist?


  If you’re able to look at the world & at people‘s behaviour, and can deduce right and wrong from them (in any way, be it social, psychological or evolutionary), then you are an ethical naturalist.
• Give an example of ethical naturalism with a theory we have already studied:


  A virtue ethicist will see ‘the good’ in the facts about eudaimonia. Modern virtue ethics might see ‘the good’ in the facts about the environment as a whole (including plants & animals, together with the whole biological ecosystems on which all living beings are dependent).
• What do naturalist theories often talk about?


  INTRINSIC GOOD (meaning the value that something has ‘in itself‘) and holding that this good (such as eudaimonia) is SELF-EVIDENT.

  Naturalist theories do have COMMON DENOMINATORS
• What do people do in order to follow a naturalist ethical system?


  It’s often expressed in a rule: do the most loving thing in the situation/do that which gives the greatest happiness fir the greatest number. Those who comply with such rules and display the appropriate charter traits in their behaviour (distributing love/bringing about happiness etc) are then described as being morally good.
• What does an ethical naturalist argue that it is vitally important to hold?

  That there are ethical facts about the world, because otherwise we have no real justification for our actions. On this approach, a naturalist perspective is crucial for the survival and well-being of life on this planet.