META ETHICS REVISION TABLE
Approach Scholars AO1: Knowledge AO2: Strengths AO2: Weaknesses
about approach
Naturalism Aristotle, The Concept: Moral Cognitivist approach: moral Hume: Is-Ought Distinction
John Locke, truths are "natural facts" judgments express beliefs and
David Hume that can be discovered are truth-apt—meaning they can To define a non-natural thing (Good)
through observation of be objectively true or false. It by a natural thing (Pleasure) is a
F.H. Bradley, logical error. Hume argues that no
the world (empirical posits that moral statements
Aquinas – matter how closely we examine the
evidence. (e.g., "murder is wrong") function
Natural Moral The good is what is like factual descriptions of the situation itself we will not be able to
Law natural. It is known by world. observe empirically the
Utilitarianism looking at nature and Naturalism makes morality rightness/wrongness of an action.
-Bentham, Mill There is a difference between what
what comes naturally to objective rather than subjective.
JL Mackie ‘is’ factually the case and what we
us. Therefore, morality is universal.
think ‘ought’ to happen (e.g. ‘He killed
Gilbert Ryle F.H. Bradley: In Ethical This gives morality importance someone’ vs ‘It is wrong to kill
Studies, he argued that rather than just being a matter of someone’).
"good" is found in personal opinion. Naturalism
fulfilling one's concrete gives morality a set of absolutes, G.E. Moore (Princia Ethica (1903)
station and its e.g. murder is wrong, rape is (Open Question Argument) identifies
duties within society. If wrong. the naturalistic fallacy as the key error
you observe your role in Naturalism fits with widely used that naturalism makes. Just because
the community, you find normative theories such as Natural something is natural, we should
your moral path. Moral Law and Utilitarianism. It is a not assume it is good. For each
The Idea: Just as we popular approach to understanding ‘natural’ property, we can ask – is it
can observe that a morality that has real-world really good? (e.g. is pleasure really
"good" watch tells the relevance. good? The fact the answer could be
time accurately, we can Objective/Scientific: It provides ‘no’ means natural properties are
observe a "good" person an objective basis for morality. We different from good. The distinction:
by their impact on can use evidence to settle moral Moore focuses on definitions (What is
society. disputes (e.g., "Does this law 'good'?), while Hume focuses on
The Goal: Ethics is a increase happiness?"). logic/reasoning (How do we get to a
branch of 'should'?).
science/sociology
1
, META ETHICS REVISION TABLE
Approach Scholars AO1: Key knowledge AO2: Strengths AO2: Weaknesses
about approach
Intuitionism GE Moore Good is a simple, Allows for objective moral values People’s intuition and moral
(1873-1958), HA indefinable property. to be identified as a form of moral reasoning may lead to different
Pritchard, WD Known through moral realism rather than a question of conclusions, so there is no
Ross (prima intuition• Developed the dismissing the possibility of any obvious way to resolve these
facie duties Open Question Argument moral facts.
concept) (Moral terms expressed It does not propose a subjective differences. People have different
through valid or emotive approach to ethics and
argument/questions. avoids the problems of identifying ideas of the good
The idea that moral truths ethics with a natural property (as
Not everybody has the same idea of
are indefinable and self- under naturalism)
‘goodness.’ People’s intuitions seem to
evident. We know ‘right’ Allows for the ability to recognise
differ. This undermines the idea that
and ‘wrong’ by intuition the wrongness of some actions,
an objective ‘good’ is intuitively known.
(not observation). even if it is difficult to specify
Mackie argued this suggests our idea
The good is a simple exactly why they are wrong – we
of ‘good’ is the result of social
notion that is known by interpret this through a m oral
conditioning, not intuitionism. How do
intuition. sense (intuition) and not by using
we resolve conflicts of intuition?
Intuitionism believes that a list of moral definitions.
How can we be sure our intuitions?
moral truths cannot be We can identify a moral sense in
are correct? Are intuitions simply a gut
discovered by observation the same way as we might identify
feeling? Is it God’s direction? How
of the world. an aesthetic sense in art of
reliable is experience as a guide?
‘Right’ and ‘wrong’ cannot literature.
Intuitions may be meaningless as a.
be discovered – instead, Allows for moral duties and
concept as they cannot be verified.
they are self-evident. obligations and so it is therefore a
Hume argued that we have a
We know ‘right’ and form of moral absolutism.
motivation for acting in certain.
‘wrong’ by intuition. intuitionism protects the idea that
ways, although intuitionists will reply
Like naturalism, it is a morality involves normative truths
to this point by saying that if we feel
moral realist theory and a rather than descriptive
motivated towards a particular form.
cognitivist theory – there statements.
of action it is because we have an
are moral truths (that are
innate desire to do so that goes
self-evident).
beyond reason.
2
Approach Scholars AO1: Knowledge AO2: Strengths AO2: Weaknesses
about approach
Naturalism Aristotle, The Concept: Moral Cognitivist approach: moral Hume: Is-Ought Distinction
John Locke, truths are "natural facts" judgments express beliefs and
David Hume that can be discovered are truth-apt—meaning they can To define a non-natural thing (Good)
through observation of be objectively true or false. It by a natural thing (Pleasure) is a
F.H. Bradley, logical error. Hume argues that no
the world (empirical posits that moral statements
Aquinas – matter how closely we examine the
evidence. (e.g., "murder is wrong") function
Natural Moral The good is what is like factual descriptions of the situation itself we will not be able to
Law natural. It is known by world. observe empirically the
Utilitarianism looking at nature and Naturalism makes morality rightness/wrongness of an action.
-Bentham, Mill There is a difference between what
what comes naturally to objective rather than subjective.
JL Mackie ‘is’ factually the case and what we
us. Therefore, morality is universal.
think ‘ought’ to happen (e.g. ‘He killed
Gilbert Ryle F.H. Bradley: In Ethical This gives morality importance someone’ vs ‘It is wrong to kill
Studies, he argued that rather than just being a matter of someone’).
"good" is found in personal opinion. Naturalism
fulfilling one's concrete gives morality a set of absolutes, G.E. Moore (Princia Ethica (1903)
station and its e.g. murder is wrong, rape is (Open Question Argument) identifies
duties within society. If wrong. the naturalistic fallacy as the key error
you observe your role in Naturalism fits with widely used that naturalism makes. Just because
the community, you find normative theories such as Natural something is natural, we should
your moral path. Moral Law and Utilitarianism. It is a not assume it is good. For each
The Idea: Just as we popular approach to understanding ‘natural’ property, we can ask – is it
can observe that a morality that has real-world really good? (e.g. is pleasure really
"good" watch tells the relevance. good? The fact the answer could be
time accurately, we can Objective/Scientific: It provides ‘no’ means natural properties are
observe a "good" person an objective basis for morality. We different from good. The distinction:
by their impact on can use evidence to settle moral Moore focuses on definitions (What is
society. disputes (e.g., "Does this law 'good'?), while Hume focuses on
The Goal: Ethics is a increase happiness?"). logic/reasoning (How do we get to a
branch of 'should'?).
science/sociology
1
, META ETHICS REVISION TABLE
Approach Scholars AO1: Key knowledge AO2: Strengths AO2: Weaknesses
about approach
Intuitionism GE Moore Good is a simple, Allows for objective moral values People’s intuition and moral
(1873-1958), HA indefinable property. to be identified as a form of moral reasoning may lead to different
Pritchard, WD Known through moral realism rather than a question of conclusions, so there is no
Ross (prima intuition• Developed the dismissing the possibility of any obvious way to resolve these
facie duties Open Question Argument moral facts.
concept) (Moral terms expressed It does not propose a subjective differences. People have different
through valid or emotive approach to ethics and
argument/questions. avoids the problems of identifying ideas of the good
The idea that moral truths ethics with a natural property (as
Not everybody has the same idea of
are indefinable and self- under naturalism)
‘goodness.’ People’s intuitions seem to
evident. We know ‘right’ Allows for the ability to recognise
differ. This undermines the idea that
and ‘wrong’ by intuition the wrongness of some actions,
an objective ‘good’ is intuitively known.
(not observation). even if it is difficult to specify
Mackie argued this suggests our idea
The good is a simple exactly why they are wrong – we
of ‘good’ is the result of social
notion that is known by interpret this through a m oral
conditioning, not intuitionism. How do
intuition. sense (intuition) and not by using
we resolve conflicts of intuition?
Intuitionism believes that a list of moral definitions.
How can we be sure our intuitions?
moral truths cannot be We can identify a moral sense in
are correct? Are intuitions simply a gut
discovered by observation the same way as we might identify
feeling? Is it God’s direction? How
of the world. an aesthetic sense in art of
reliable is experience as a guide?
‘Right’ and ‘wrong’ cannot literature.
Intuitions may be meaningless as a.
be discovered – instead, Allows for moral duties and
concept as they cannot be verified.
they are self-evident. obligations and so it is therefore a
Hume argued that we have a
We know ‘right’ and form of moral absolutism.
motivation for acting in certain.
‘wrong’ by intuition. intuitionism protects the idea that
ways, although intuitionists will reply
Like naturalism, it is a morality involves normative truths
to this point by saying that if we feel
moral realist theory and a rather than descriptive
motivated towards a particular form.
cognitivist theory – there statements.
of action it is because we have an
are moral truths (that are
innate desire to do so that goes
self-evident).
beyond reason.
2
