Non-Cognitive theories of meta- ethics Is ‘abortion is wrong’ a fact, or opinion? Jot down your thoughts on a mwb What would the cognitivist say? The Naturalist? The Intuitionist?

Ethical language Lesson Objectives: To be able to explain non-cognitivist approaches to ethical language To evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of these theories H/W: Independent Learning Booklet

Work on your flow diagram.. Meta Ethics objective realist Cognitive Non-cognitive Naturalism Intuitionism Moore Prichard Ross

Non-Cognitivists Believe that ethical language IS/IS NOT meaningful Morality CAN/CANNOT be deduced by a process of thought Morality CAN/CANNOT be proved Is a REALIST/ANTI-REALIST position

Non-Cognitivism In a nutshell: there are is no ethical knowledge because ethical statements are not statements that can me proved true or false. They are some other kind of statement: Two theories: Emotivism Prescriptivism Look at these words. What do they mean? Jot down your own description on the mwb.

Emotivism – A J Ayer Where did we come across him before? Brainstorm in pairs everything you know about Ayer and what his thoughts on language are. Verification Principle: 2 kinds of meaningful statements: Analytic – mathematics or logic (all vixens are foxes, all bachelors are men) Synthetic – that can be checked either way, science, history and ordinary life. Ethical statements are not verifiable – there are no empirical facts which can be checked to see if any ethical statement is true or false. SO THEY ARE MEANINGLESS

Emotivism – Stevenson Whilst Ayer points out that ethical statements are meaningless, Stevensons approach gives some meaning to moral disagreements. He believed that they explicitly give approval or disapproval and that they express commands and attempt to persuade and influence others. Ethical statements are subjective They cannot be validated Expressions of feeling (and according to Stevenson) attempt to persuade or influence others in how to act.

Strengths: Weaknesses: It is subjective – it can account for different cultures and individual attitudes It doesn’t need a God or higher power to explain ‘goodness’ It assumes that ethical statements are not the same as empirically verifiable facts Accepts the importance of a scientific approach to language Can persuade or influence others without the need for moral absolutes Weaknesses: It is not an ethical theory, but simply an analysis of the nature and content of language Moral judgements are more than expressions of emotion (Rachels - ‘I like smarties needs no reason, moral judgements do, or else they are arbitrary’. It allows everyone to do whatever they like on the grounds that everyone’s opinion is valid (eg: Anders Breivik/9/11/Rwandan Genocide) We could criticise the verification principle?

Prescriptivism – R.M Hare Criticised Emotivism: I did, and do, follow the emotivists in their rejection of descriptivism. But I was never an emotivist, though I have often been called one. But unlike most of their opponents I saw that it was their irrationalism, not their non-descriptivism, which was mistaken. So my main task was to find a rationalist kind of non-descriptivism, and this led me to establish that imperatives, the simplest kinds of prescriptions, could be subject to logical constraints while not [being] descriptive.

Prescriptivism So, Hare believes that: Ethical statements ARE expressions of opinion They are also UNIVERSAL (apply to all) They are not just expressing views, but telling others (prescribing) what to do.

Strengths: Weaknesses: Common moral system Supports legal system Does not take account of cultural differences: J.L Mackie disagreed and said that morals are not universal. We only have to look at different cultures to understand that – suicide bombers/children married Morals are not absolute They are not universal Who has authority to prescribe? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TwE60eul6CU

Work on your flow diagram.. Meta Ethics objective Anti-realist subjective realist Cognitive Non-cognitive Naturalism Intuitionism Emotivism Prescriptivism Moore Prichard Ross

4 minutes In your own words, outline and evaluate one non-cognitivist theory. Those working at A-B, consider prescriptivism Those working at C-B consider emotivism

Next lesson: Create a 2 minute podcast/film on: Naturalism Intuitionism Emotivism Prescriptivism