Meta-Ethics
Meta-Ethics
The nature of morality itself — what is "good"? Are moral claims true?
Meta-ethics is the branch of philosophy examining the nature of morality itself — second-order questions about ethics. Different from normative ethics (which actions are right) and applied ethics (specific cases). Meta-ethical questions: Are there objective moral truths? What does "good" mean? Do moral facts exist? Are values discovered or invented? Major positions: moral realism (objective moral facts exist), anti-realism (no objective moral facts), cognitivism (moral statements have truth values), non-cognitivism (just expressions of attitudes). Meta-ethical commitments shape normative ethics.
- DefinitionPhilosophy about morality itself
- Distinct fromNormative ethics (what's right) and applied ethics
- Major positionsRealism, anti-realism, cognitivism, non-cognitivism
- Moral realismObjective moral facts exist
- Non-cognitivismMoral statements not truth-apt
- InfluenceShapes ethical theorizing
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Why meta-ethics matters
- Foundation of ethics. Underlies all ethical thinking.
- Cross-cultural ethics. Are values universal?
- Moral education. What are we teaching?
- Religion. Divine basis vs natural.
- Science and ethics. Can science settle ethics?
- Public discourse. What we mean by ethical claims.
- Philosophy. Major area of contemporary research.
Common misconceptions
- Same as ethics. About ethics; different level.
- Just relativism vs absolutism. Many positions.
- Doesn't matter practically. Affects normative theorizing.
- Settled. Active debate.
- Anti-realist = no morality. Anti-realism still allows normative ethics.
- Easy questions. Centuries of debate.
Frequently asked questions
What's meta-ethics?
"About ethics" rather than "in ethics." Asks fundamental questions. (1) Semantic: what do moral terms mean? (2) Metaphysical: do moral facts exist? Are they natural or supernatural? (3) Epistemological: how do we know moral truths? (4) Psychological: how do we form moral beliefs? (5) Pragmatic: function of moral language. Distinct from: which actions are right (normative) or specific moral problems (applied).
What's moral realism?
Moral facts/truths exist objectively. Independent of human attitudes or beliefs. "Murder is wrong" is true objectively. Like scientific facts: discovered, not invented. Different versions: naturalist (moral facts are natural facts), non-naturalist (moral facts not reducible). Major proponents: Plato, Aristotle, Kant, modern realists like Russ Shafer-Landau, Derek Parfit.
What's moral anti-realism?
No objective moral facts. Various forms. (1) Subjectivism: morality based on individual feelings. (2) Cultural relativism: morality based on culture. (3) Error theory (Mackie): moral claims aim at objectivity but all are false. (4) Constructivism: morality constructed (e.g., Rawls). (5) Expressivism: moral statements express attitudes, not facts.
What's cognitivism vs non-cognitivism?
Different. Cognitivism: moral statements are truth-apt — can be true or false; express beliefs. Non-cognitivism: moral statements aren't truth-apt — don't express beliefs about facts; express attitudes, emotions, prescriptions. Examples of non-cognitivism: emotivism (Ayer: "Murder is wrong" = "Boo murder!"), prescriptivism (Hare: imperative).
What's emotivism?
A.J. Ayer (1936). "Murder is wrong" doesn't describe a fact; expresses negative attitude toward murder. Like saying "Boo murder!" or "I disapprove of murder." Doesn't have truth value. Reduces ethics to emotional expression. Influential but criticized: doesn't capture how we argue about ethics. Modern non-cognitivism more sophisticated.
What's the open question argument?
G.E. Moore (1903). For any natural property X, "is X good?" remains meaningful (open) question. Therefore: good ≠ X. Suggests good is non-natural property. Influential argument against naturalism. Critique: doesn't show good is non-natural; just that we can't easily define it.
How does it relate to normative ethics?
Meta-ethics shapes normative theorizing. Realism: take moral discoveries seriously; methodologies for finding moral truth. Anti-realism: ethics constructed; understand origins of values. Cognitivism: moral arguments about truth. Non-cognitivism: arguments about attitudes. Different meta-ethics → different methodology → different normative conclusions. Foundational level.