Non - Naturalism:

• Non-Naturalism


  Proposed by G.E Moore
• Non-Naturalism


  • Also proposed 'naturalistic fallacy' - to challenge ethical naturalism
  • Cognitivists theories (suggests there are moral facts that we can know)
• Naturalistic fallacy


  1. People in ethical arguments may start with facts and then slip into speaking moral values without establishing they had switched basis on which they were arguing

  2. Failed attempt to derive ought from is + to derive values from facts
• Principle Ethica (Moore's book)


  Coined term 'naturalistic fallacy'
• Moore's argument


  • Good = cannot be defined as complex
  • Moral values are not natural properties + so cannot be analysed - non-naturalist approach
  • Moral values are based on moral sense that cannot be described literally
• Naturalism


  Good = complex + analysable
• Naturalism - horse


  • Horse = analysable like other natural objects through its parts e.g heel, elbow, tail etc
• Ethical naturalism


  Good = natural object like horse - complex + analysable through natural properties e.g pleasure
• Non-Naturalism


  • Moore rejects naturalism as Naturalistic Fallacy
  • Good = quality that things possess - not defined, we naturally recognise + understand e.g colour yellow
• Recognising qualities


  • Can point to yellow objects and say they are yellow but does not define what yellow is
  • Smell of coffee - difficult to describe to someone else
• Moore: 'If I am asked, 'what is good?' my answer is that good is good'