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META-ETHICS - Coggle Diagram
META-ETHICS
INTUITIONISM:
( Ethical non-naturalism)
Moral knowledge is a factual property known through intuition
- Argues that our knowledge of right and wrong comes from fundamental moral intuitions,
- intuitions are stand-alone & self-evident- moral truths behind our intuitions exist independently of persons
- these facts can be known prior to physical or empirical experience- a priori
- G.E MOORE states the word 'good' cannot be defined or explained if we want to avoid creating a naturalistic fallacy ( reasoning from facts to moral claims)
- e likened it to the colour yellow- we know what yellow is but can't define it.
- he said quite simply "good id good and that is the end of the matter"
- W.D. ROSS tackles the issue of conflicting duties (a criticism of intuitionism)
- he argues that everyone knows what is right/wrong/good/bad because everyone has a set of duties they are bound to that are self-evident.
- intuitionism comes in when someone has to consider conflicting duties
- each situation is different due to uniqueness
- PRIMA FACIE DUTIES:
- 1)FIDELITY (keeping promises)
- 2) GRATITUDE
- 3) JUSTICE (equal treatment)
- 4) BENEFICENCE (helping others)
- 5)SELF-IMPROVEMENT
- 6) NON-MALIFICENE
- the person intuitively knows these prima facie duties are true and may follow the appropriate duty given the demands of the particular situation
STRENGTHS:
- everyone has moral intuitions and we use them to support our moral decisions
- avoids the complex debate as to what is good due to many conflicting definitions. good cannot be defined for non-naturalists
- realistic in explaining that our moral intuitions are not perfect because every moral situation is different, as ross points out
WEAKNESSES:
- doesn't give a satisfactory answer to how we have moral intuitions- it cannot be observed so might not exist.
- stifles ethical debate- people just pit one intuition against another
- it will allow people to get away with anything
- Nietzsche criticised Moore's 'yellow' analogy, and argued that one person may see good as one thing whereas one may see good as another, suggesting the issue of
"ethical colourblindness"
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