Edward Harcourt from Keble College, Oxford and Richard Rowland from the University of Warwick discuss meta-ethics, moral claims, evolution of moral concepts, relativism in ethics, global differences in moral opinion, convergence and divergence in ethical philosophy, and understanding meta-ethics.
Meta-ethics evaluates different ethical theories and explores the nature of moral claims and the concept of right and wrong.
Ethical theories offer different actions or principles to follow in moral situations, such as utilitarianism and rights-based theories.
Meta-ethics examines the objectivity of moral claims and the influence of cultural, societal, and individual factors on moral beliefs.
Deep dives
Meta-ethics examines different ideas and theories about ethics and morality
Meta-ethics involves evaluating different ethical theories and understanding the basis of ethics, such as the nature of moral claims and what it means for something to be right or wrong.
Ethical theories propose different moral obligations and bases
Ethical theories, such as utilitarianism and rights-based theories, suggest different actions or principles to follow in moral situations. For example, utilitarianism promotes actions that produce the best consequences or maximum pleasure, while rights-based theories prioritize individual rights and protecting people from harm.
Meta-ethics emerged due to questions about the nature and study of ethics
With the rise of science, questions arose about whether ethics could be studied using empirical methods. Meta-ethics became a separate field of study in the 20th century, aiming to understand the nature of moral truth and knowledge.
Meta-ethics questions the objectivity of moral claims
Meta-ethics explores whether moral claims are objective or subjective. It investigates whether moral judgments are based on opinions, subjective beliefs, cultural views, or if there are objective moral facts independent of personal or societal beliefs.
Differences in moral values may arise from cultural or societal influences
While there are some universal moral values, variations in moral beliefs can result from cultural, societal, or individual differences. These differences can stem from the influence of upbringing, social norms, or biases affecting moral judgment. However, there is a degree of convergence in moral beliefs across societies.
What is meta-ethics? How does meta-ethics differ from ethics, and what does it tell us about ethics? Why is it important for how we should live our lives? Join Grant Bartley from Philosophy Now and his guests Edward Harcourt from Keble College, Oxford, and Richard Rowland from the University of Warwick, to find the answers to these questions and more. First broadcast on 8 June 2014 on Resonance FM.
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