Ethical naturalism

• Cognitive and realist theory
• Key Scholars: John Stuart Mill and David Hume
• A form of ethical naturalism is utilitarianism
• Ethical naturalism says moral properties are natural properties (good and bad can be understood by using evidence in the natural world and from our experience)
• Strengths

  • It accounts for our moral feelings when we feel outraged by clear injustice (genocide).
  • Naturalism is an effective cognitivist theory as it explains how we use moral language.
  • Allows for moral disagreements.
• Weaknesses

  • Guilty of reductionism. Limits or reduces moral judgements.
  • Doesn't distinguish between facts and values.
• David Hume - is VS ought theory. is = fact, ought = value
• It is empiricist