Ethics and Metaethics

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Ethics and Meta-ethics

• Scott Bowman

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Ethics

• First order theories How we should behave
• Duty based
• Consequentialist
• Second order theories The status of ethical
  theories
• Meta ethics

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Meta - ethics

• Theories about ethical theories
• For example What is the meaning of right in
  the moral context.

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Naturalism

• Naturalism is a form of ethical theory
  (utilitarian) that follows on from an assumption
  that ethical decisions flow from measurable facts
  which can be found scientifically. Often
  assumptions about human nature.
• Meta-ethics ask if this is possible?

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• Utilitarian
• Can measure happiness
• Kantian ethics
• Linked with psychological factors

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Criticisms of naturalismAnti-Naturalism

• Humes Law (David Hume)
• No factual description leads automatically to any
  value judgement further argument is always
  needed.
• Ethicists often move from what is to what ought
  to be without further argument

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G. E. Moore (1837 1958)

• Naturalistic fallacy
• Fact and value are in different realms and cannot
  be linked. The mistake is to argue fact to value.

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The Open Question Argument

• Take a fact that ethical arguments can be drawn
• Of all the choices facing the Good Samaritan the
  one of helping the injured man was the one that
  would cause the most happiness.
• Using utilitarian ethics it would follow that
  this is a morally good action
• An anti-naturalism argument would be
• This action is likely to give rise to the most
  happiness for the greatest number of people, but
  is it the morally right thing to do?
• The anti-naturalist argument is that this is an
  open question.

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No ought from is!
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No human nature

• Jean Paul Sartre attacked naturalistic ethics
• It is wrong to assume that there is a human
  nature a form of self deception
• We all choose our own values
• We have to make the judgements from within
  ourselves

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Critics of anti naturalism

• John Searle has tried to derive ought from is.
• His example promising. Does involve a move from
  fact to value

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Emotivism

• A.J. Ayler have stated that ethical statements
  are meaningless.
• They do not express fact only the speakers
  emotion.
• This is different to subjectivists (moral
  statements have meaning but are subjective.
• An emotivist believes that ethical statements
  have no meaning just like grunts and laughter

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Emotivism

• Torture is wrong
• Just saying what you feel not fact.
• Like booing it might be a way of trying to
  persuade

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Criticisms of emotivism

• If true then all moral argument is impossible
• Emotivist would not see this as a threat!
• Very dangerous consequences
• Murder is wrong????

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Ethical Relativism

• An act is either right or wrong depending
  relatively to the society in which one lives.