A2 Philosophy: Unit 3 – Key themes in Philosophy
Moral Philosophy
Intro:
Are there such things as Moral Truths? If there are – what is their nature? Are they
transcendent Platonic Forms? Is it possible to argue that there is no actual moral truth?
Should moral decisions be made by consequence alone? Do moral rights, duties and principles
have an intrinsic value independent of consequence?
Moral Truth
A. Moral truth is God-independent transcendent truth
 Analogy with mathematical truths
Issues arising from left hand
 Belief in Platonic forms as archetypal example
column
 Moral Elitism
 Moral Knowledge and the weakness of will
 Problem of how
B. Moral truth as Natural Facts
knowledge of moral truth
 What is morally desirable is to be understood in terms
is possible
of what is in fact desired
 Possibility of agreement
 Open question argument
over moral truth
 Naturalistic fallacy
 Extent to which such
C. Moral truth is based on rational properties which provide
truths can motivate
reasons for actions
action
The analogy with secondary properties.
The Denial of Moral Truth
Issues arising from left hand
column
 Possibility of judging
A. Consideration of Moral truths as social conventions
abhorrent practices of
relative to a given social group
other cultures/individuals
B. Difference between descriptive and normative relativism
 Possibility of making
C. Moral judgements as serving a non-descriptive function
moral progress and
(either emotivism or prescription)
making mistakes
 Extent to which we can
value what we like
Moral Decisions
A. The extent to which an action maximises happiness is the
sole criterion by which its value can be judged
 Consideration of act
Discussion of left hand column
 Rule and preference utilitarianism
in relation to at least one
 Strengths and weaknesses of utilitarian positions
ethical problem.
B. Moral rights, duties and principles not based on
consequences
 Value of life (i.e.
 These are required to make ethical decisions
Abortion/Euthanasia)
 Strengths and weakness of these positions
 Treatment of natural
 Kant’s attempt to provide a rational grounding for
environment
a deontological ethics
 Treatment of non The importance of motivation in making moral
human animals
decisions
 Treatment of those in
C. Practical wisdom as the capacity to make informed,
poverty
rational judgments without recourse to a formal decision
procedure (i.e. Hedonic calculus/Categorical imperative)
 Strengths and weaknesses of positions