What is ethics?
-Normative Ethics
-Meta-Ethics
-Value Theory
Normative Ethics
The best way the world could be or the best state of affairs. Which actions are morally right/wrong which characterize traits are virtuous or vicious. (Known as consequentialism)
Meta-Ethics
Questions about the nature of ethics. Is morality objective? How do we know what we are morally obligated to?
Value Theory
What things are good or bad? What makes life go well?
Evaluative Questions
Good or Bad
Deontic" Language for the best affairs
-Ought to do x
-x is forbidden
-Should/shouldn't
-Required
What (if anything) is distinctive about moral norms?
Norms:
-Moral
-Aesthetic
-Legal
-Familial
-Etiquette
-Cultural
-Religious
-Self-interest (prudence)
Are there any objective moral facts?
-Ethical Objectivism: the view that some moral standards are objectively correct and some moral claims are objectively true.
-Objectivity: Moral standards are objective is the apply to everyone, even if people are indifferent to them, and even if obeying
How can secular people make room for objective moral facts?
-Moral skepticism: the denial of ethical objectivism.
Two forms:
-Moral Nihilism: the view that there are no moral truths at all. (most hardcore: like witch discourse).
-Ethical Relativism: the view that there are some moral truths but that they are relat
Relativising (cultural):
EX:
Eating meat is wrong! = statement. It has force and weight and you could give reasons without cultural aspects that anyone could agree with.
Eating meat is wrong, according to Hindus. This is just a description, this is NOT ethics. So if ethical relat
Implications of Ethical Relativism:
-If ethical truth is determined by personal opinion or cultural ideals, then it's impossible for one's personal ethical opinions or a culture's ideals to ever be mistaken.
-Because of this, if ethical relativism is true, the moral views of all individuals
Meta-ethics
-Moral relativism
-Moral nihilism
-Moral objectivity view
ALL: There are some set of standards or moral reasons that apply to people. People have obligations and struggle with these obligations.
We must debate...which one is best?
Moral Relativism
-Subjectivism: individuals, self truth and practice
-cultural relativism: belief of culture/society
-the truth of moral claims depends of people's moral beliefs and opinions.
Possible example of where this could be true but never really happen: gender ide
Moral Nihilism
-error theory (eliminativism)
-expressivism (just opinion, not truth: emotions, sentiments, commanding people)
-there is no moral truths
-only what's going of in moral thought/discourse
-no moral facts
EX: witches
Moral Objectivity
-the view that there are objective moral reasons or standards
-"objective" ~ standards apply to everyone even if they do not think they do or would prefer they did not.
-truth does not depend on people's moral beliefs or desires/opinions
*Has the ADVANTAG