Meta-ethics
Section 2
‘Good’, ‘Ought’ and Morality
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‘Good’ & ‘Ought’
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The apparent subjectivity & ‘evaluative’
nature of the language of ‘good’ & ‘ought’
sometimes inclines people to view moral
claims as neither truth-apt nor knowable.
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However...
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‘Good’ – logically attributive term.
Its meaning varies with the kind of thing it is
used of, & not with the speaker’s attitudes.
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‘Good’

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Being commended is neither necessary nor
sufficient for something to be good of its kind.
The theory that ‘good’ has an ‘evaluative
meaning’ is misguided.
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‘Good’

The relation between ‘good’ & the kind in question
may be that of a thing performing its function well
or of its flourishing as a member of that kind.
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‘Good’ from a Special Perspective

When a specific point of view is in
question, being a good member of a kind
is being desirable as a member of that
kind from the perspective in question.
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Note…

Accounting for cases where a specific
perspective is assumed does not
undermine the account of ‘good’ above,
where what is good is potentially grounded
in facts.
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‘Is Good’…

Sometimes used to affirm something’s intrinsic
value, meaning ‘is desirable intrinsically’.
(For discussion of intrinsic value see Chapter 2)
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‘Ought’…

Seems mysterious because it’s an incomplete
expression, until it’s equipped with an
explanatory adverb like ‘morally’ or ‘prudentially’.
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From ‘Is’ to ‘Ought’

Hobbes assumes ‘ought’ is short for ‘ought in
the interests of the agent’ (see Chapter on
History).

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We can move from facts to ‘oughts’ if we are
clear which kind of ‘ought’ is in question.
Such oughts would supply reasons for action.
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Morality

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Moral principles & judgements are ones that
would or could be justified in a certain way.
Such a justification is one that characterizes
the acts involved as generating intrinsic value.
(See the Section on Intrinsic Value in the
Chapter on Value-Theory.)
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Morally Good Qualities

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Desirable because of their tendency to generate
intrinsic value.
Correspond to the virtues.
Good motives are to be understood in much the
same way.
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Morally Good Persons

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Behave, react, feel & think in ways that are
desirable from the moral point of view.
Behave, react, etc., in ways which generate
intrinsic value overall.
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Consider…

What makes some traits, motives &
persons morally good ones?
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Moral ‘Oughts’

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‘X ought’ means, roughly, ‘X has reason to’.
Moral ‘oughts’ — justified by reference to intrinsic
value generated by the acts in question.
Moral claims can thus be made on the basis of
facts.
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