11. Meta-ethics –
The Language of Ethics
ESSENTIAL TERMINOLOGY
Analytic statements
Emotivism
Ethical naturalism/ethical cognitivism
Ethical non-naturalism/ethical non-cognitivism
Intuitionism
Logical positivism
Meta-ethics
Naturalistic fallacy
Normative ethics
Prescriptivism
Synthetic statement
WHAT IS META-ETHICS?
COGNITIVE THEORIES OF META-ETHICS
Metaethics
Cognitive
Noncognitive
Subjective
Objective
Realist
Ethical naturalism
Ethical naturalism
Cognitive and
objective
Ethical and nonethical
statements are
the same
Ethical
statements can
be verified and
falsified
Anti-realist
Criticisms of ethical naturalism – the naturalistic fallacy
Intuitionism – G.E. Moore
Moore's
intuitionism
Good is
indefinable
There are
objective moral
truths
We know these
moral truths by
intuition
Intuitionism – H.A. Prichard
Prichard's
intuitionism
Obligations are as
indefinable as
good
Intuition decides
what to do in a
situation
Some people's
intuition is better
developed than
others'
Intuitionism – W.D. Ross
Ross's intuitionism
Prima facie duties
are right
Judgement must
be used to decide
what to do in any
situation
One duty can be
rejected in favour
of another
Criticisms of intuitionism
Meta-ethics
Cognitive
Noncognitive
Subjective
Objective
Realist
Ethical
naturalism
Intuitionism
G.E. Moore
H.A.
Prichard
W.D. Ross
NON-COGNITIVE THEORIES OF META-ETHICS
Emotivism – A.J. Ayer
Emotivism – Ayer
Words like 'good'
are meaningless
Ethical
statements are
just expressions
of feeling
Ethical
statements
cannot be
validated
Emotivism – C.L. Stevenson
Emotivism –
C.L. Stevenson
Ethical statements
are attitudes based
on beliefs about
the world
Ethical statements
are attempts to
influence the views
of others
Ethical statements
are subjective
opinions
Criticisms of emotivism
Prescriptivism – R.M. Hare
Prescriptivism – Hare
Ethical statements
are expressions of
opinion
Ethical statements
are also universal
They are not just
expressing our
views but
prescribing them
to others
Criticisms of prescriptivism
Thinkers:
G.E. Moore
F.H. Bradley
H.A. Prichard
W.D. Ross
The theory is
descriptive and
does not help us
make moral
decisions
Cognitive –
assumes the
existence of
moral facts, but
‘good’ is
indefinable
Intuitionism
Meta-ethical
response to the
Naturalistic
Fallacy
We intuit selfevident moral
truths
What are the
objective moral
truths?
Thinkers:
Logical
Positivists
A.J. Ayer
Non-cognitive –
moral facts are
non-provable
and so
meaningless and
non-factual
The theory is
descriptive and
does not help us
make moral
decisions
Emotivism
Morality is just
an expression of
feeling –
boo/hurrah
Meta-ethical
response to the
Hume’s Fork
Allows us to
hold our own
opinions and
disagree with
those of others
Thinkers:
R.H. Hare
The theory is
descriptive and
does not help us
make moral
decisions
Non-cognitive –
moral facts are nonprovable and so
meaningless and
non-factual
Prescriptivism
Does not specify
why one should
follow one person’s
prescriptions rather
than another’s
Morality is an
expression of
feeling, but it also
prescribes our
views to others
Allows us to hold
our own opinions
and disagree with
those of others