Transcript `Good is a meaningless word. It attempts to define something non

‘Good is a meaningless word. It
attempts to define something nonexistent.’
How might (a) Intuitionists and
(b) Emotivists react to this
statement?
This would form Part A of a 2-part
question. In an exam ..
 You’d
get 30 marks for this question.
 You’ have 20 minutes in which to do
it (but will take considerably longer
as you’ll be working at home.
 You must know your stuff.
 You must address the issues, both
explicit and implicit.
What approach does this question
require?
 Does
it ask for descriptive
information about ethical systems?
 Or
does it ask you to identify
strengths and weaknesses and give
your opinion?
 In
this case you must give
information about ethical systems
What should you write?
 First:
Look for key words. In this
case they are:
 Good; meaningless/non-existent;
define; Intuitionists; Emotivists;
react.
 Second, identify any connections
between the key words such as
Intuitionism&indefinable;
Emotivism&meaningless.
Good is objective
Good exists
Ross: prima facie
Duties guide us
If we encounter
Moral dilemmas
Good is a simple
Concept – we can’t
Define it.
Intuitionism – Moore
Prichard, Ross
Prichard: we use
Reason to collate
Information when
We have moral
choices
Moore
We all intuit good
Infallibly in moral
situations.
‘Good’ = “Hurray!”
‘Bad’ = “Boooo!!”
Statements are
Either analytic
Synthetic or
meaningless
Ayers
Stephenson
Emotivists
Good = approval
Rooted in deeply
Held beliefs
I approve
Of this and I
Want you to agree
With me
Connections done? Now write!
 What
do Intuitionists believe about
‘Good’?
 Does it exist as objective reality?
 Can we define it? Eg does ‘natural’
= good? Does ‘the greatest
happiness’ = good?
 How do we arrive at the answer to
‘what is good’ when faced with a
moral question?
Now for Emotivists!
 You
will answer the same questions,
but make comparisons/contrasts with
Intuitionists:
 Emotivists agreed that …..
 Unlike Intuitionists, emotivists
thought that ..
 Intuitionists asserted that/Emotivists
insisted that/argued that/believed
that ..