Scribd Logo
Upload

Welcome to Scribd!

  • Meta-Ethics & The Good

    Uploaded by

    Alex Llorente
    13 views18 pages
    This document discusses different approaches to meta-ethics in determining the meaning of concepts like good, bad, right, and wrong. It outlines how in the early 20th century there were two major approaches: normative ethics which studies standards for right and wrong action, and meta-ethics which studies the nature of ethical properties and judgments. It discusses debates around whether ethical assertions have any cognitive meaning or truth value, and introduces concepts like emotivism which argues ethical assertions merely express approval or disapproval rather than stating moral truths. The document also examines ideas from the ancient Greeks about the good being excellence in proper functioning, and challenges in defining "proper functioning."

    Original Description:

    summarized

    Original Title

    Meta-Ethics & the Good

    Copyright

    © © All Rights Reserved

    Available Formats

    PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd

    Did you find this document useful?

    Is this content inappropriate?

    Report this Document
    This document discusses different approaches to meta-ethics in determining the meaning of concepts like good, bad, right, and wrong. It outlines how in the early 20th century there were two major approaches: normative ethics which studies standards for right and wrong action, and meta-ethics which studies the nature of ethical properties and judgments. It discusses debates around whether ethical assertions have any cognitive meaning or truth value, and introduces concepts like emotivism which argues ethical assertions merely express approval or disapproval rather than stating moral truths. The document also examines ideas from the ancient Greeks about the good being excellence in proper functioning, and challenges in defining "proper functioning."

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Flag for inappropriate content
    13 views18 pages

    Meta-Ethics & The Good

    Uploaded by

    Alex Llorente
    This document discusses different approaches to meta-ethics in determining the meaning of concepts like good, bad, right, and wrong. It outlines how in the early 20th century there were two major approaches: normative ethics which studies standards for right and wrong action, and meta-ethics which studies the nature of ethical properties and judgments. It discusses debates around whether ethical assertions have any cognitive meaning or truth value, and introduces concepts like emotivism which argues ethical assertions merely express approval or disapproval rather than stating moral truths. The document also examines ideas from the ancient Greeks about the good being excellence in proper functioning, and challenges in defining "proper functioning."

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Flag for inappropriate content
    of 18

    META-ETHICS

    & THE GOOD

    Eli Topia | Alex Llorente


    WHAT IS THE MEANING
    OF GOOD, BAD, RIGHT
    AND WRONG?

    AM I MAKING
    A GOOD
    CHOICE?

    what is a good choice?


    1. IN THE EARLY 20TH
    CENTURY, THERE HAVE
    BEEN 2 MAJOR
    APPROACHES IN ETHICS:
    NORMATIVE ETHICS AND
    META-ETHICS
    2. WHETHER ETHICAL
    ASSERTIONS HAVE
    ANY COGNITIVE
    MEANING OR NOT IS
    DEBATABLE.
    EXAMPLE
    1
    "THE MOBILE
    NUMBER YOU
    COPIED IS
    WRONG."
    EXAMPLE
    2
    "THAT’S A GOOD WAY
    TO GET WIPE THE
    EARTH."

    "WIPING THE EARTH


    IS BAD."
    EXAMPLE
    3

    "TONY IS A
    GOOD GUY."
    3. EMOTIVISM ARGUES
    THAT THERE ARE NO MORAL
    TRUTHS AND THAT ETHICAL
    ASSERTIONS MERELY
    EXPRESS APPROVAL  /
    DISAPPROVAL.
    4. OTHER THAN
    EXPRESSING APPROVAL,
    HOWEVER, ETHICAL
    ASSERTIONS STATE A
    FELT APPROVAL.
    5. THE ANCIENT
    GREEKS CONCEIVED OF
    THE GOOD  AS
    EXCELLENCE IN PROPER
    FUNCTIONING (ARETE).
    ARETE
    =
    PROPER
    FUNCTIONING
    6. “PROPER
    FUNCTIONING”,
    HOWEVER, IS A
    VAGUE TERM.
    7. THROUGH G.E. MOORE’S
    OPEN QUESTION
    TECHNIQUE, WE REALIZE
    THAT ETHICAL ASSERTIONS
    ARE UNDETERMINED BY
    FACTS.
    "I grant x has that
    property, nonetheless is x
    good?
    naturalistic fallacy

    P
    PROPERTY
    8. “IT IS ONLY THE
    CONCEPT OF LIFE THAT
    MAKES THE CONCEPT OF
    ‘VALUE’ POSSIBLE.”
    (AYN RAND)
    SUSTAIN LIFE
    pro-life

    GOALS ARE
    CHOSEN
    beings of volitional
    consciousness LIFE
    DEPENDS ON
    SPECIFIC ACTION
    self-sustaining, self-
    generating
    end

    You might also like