Meta ethics

• Define cognitive language

  factual statements that describe the world around us + supported by evidence

  • can be proven/disproven
• Define non-cognitive language

  Statements which express feelings and opinions

  • cannot be proven
• Why can we never make firm judgments according to Hume?

  Because moral judgments are relative to situations.
• Define value (Hume)

  Something one believes to be good
• Define fact (Hume)

  An actual state of the world
• What is the theory of naturalism?

  A cognitive theory arguing that ethical statements can be verified or falsified
• naturalism states that moral statements can be applied universally
• What should morality not be based on according to naturalism?

  Human opinions
• Why is it problematic to base morality on human opinions?

  Humans can be wrong
• What does naturalism compare ethical statements to and why?

  Scientific facts - as they have fixed right + wrong
• Explain hedonic naturalism

  idea that being good causes pleasure and we understand this by using nature/science
• Give 2 examples of naturalism

  • Hedonic naturalism

  • theological naturalism
• Who created the idea of hedonic naturalism?

  Bentham
• Who created idea of theological naturalism?

  Aquinas
• Explain theological naturalism

  Idea that right and wrong exist as law in the universe God created and we understand this by using reason
• naturalism negative AO2

  • too simple - when explaining complicated moral issues

  • Hume - hard to make morals factual statements

  • overlooks emotions + personal experiences
• Naturalism positive AO2

  • applies morals equally as a universal standard

  • based on empirical facts/observations due to the connection to science
• intuitionism is a cognitive theory
• Explain the theory of intuitionism

  belief that we rely on intuition (gut feeling) to make moral decisions
• What example did Moore support his view of naturalism? (hint - colour)

  explaining the colour yellow to a blind person
• How does intuitionism relate to the concept of defining goodness? (Moore)

  Goodness is naturally understood by our intuitive (gut) feelings
• Moore disagreed with naturalism
• Why did Moore disagree with naturalism?

  Concept of goodness cannot be defined therefore cannot be learnt/observed through nature
• how did Prichard view moral obligations?

  • Moral obligations = instinctive.
  • We know what we ought to do naturally.
• Pritchard argued it’s hard to define obligation + goodness
• What did Pritchard believe about goodness?

  Don’t need evidence to work out right or wrong instead we use moral intuition (gut feeling)
• Who supported the view of intuitionism?

  • Moore

  • Pritchard

  • Ross
• What should be done when we have conflicting duties in a situation according to Pritchard?

  Decide which one’s more important by using intuition
• What can happen to prima facie duties according to Ross?

  They can clash with each other
• How does Ross suggest we figure out which prima facie duty is most important?

  By using intuition in situations
• What are Prima facie duties? (Ross)

  Basic moral truths we know are important
• Give 2 examples of Prima Facie duties

  • duty of justice - treating others fairly

  • duty of beneficence - helping others
• Why are prima facie duties important according to Ross?

  Used as a moral guidance situations alongside our intuition
• intuitionism negative AO2

  • can’t explain moral differences between cultures

  • no clear guidelines

  • Macintyre - ‘the word intuition is a signal that something has gone wrong’
• Intuitionism positive AO2

  • flexible for different situations

  • avoid confusion by not having complex explanations
• emotivism is a non-cognitive theory
• Naturalism is a cognitive theory
• Explain the emotivism theory

  Belief that moral judgements are based on emotion = not an observable fact
• Who supported emotivism?

  Ayer
• What did Ayer argue about moral statements?

  They cannot be verified because we can’t observe their effects