Overview
This lecture covers ethical subjectivism, its contrast with objectivism, and key philosophical arguments from Mackie and Nagel about whether morality is objective or subjective.
Ethical Subjectivism
- Ethical subjectivism claims there are no objective moral standards; morality depends on individual or cultural attitudes.
- Simple subjectivism interprets moral statements as expressions of the speaker’s approval or disapproval.
- Emotivism views moral language as expressing emotions rather than stating facts (e.g., "X is wrong" means "Boo to X").
- At its extreme, nihilism holds that moral values are not real, so nothing is truly right or wrong.
Moral Objectivism
- Moral objectivism asserts that there are objective, universal standards of right and wrong, independent of personal opinions.
- Examples (wallet, theft, exploitation) are used to illustrate the appeal of objectivity in real-life moral reasoning.
First-order vs. Second-order Moral Views
- First-order views concern what we should do (e.g., "Return the wallet," "Don't murder").
- Second-order views analyze the nature of morality itself (e.g., is it objective or subjective?).
- The independence thesis claims first- and second-order views are independent (favored by Mackie, rejected by Nagel).
Mackie’s Arguments Against Objectivity
- Argument from queerness: Objective moral properties would be metaphysically strange and unlike anything else in reality.
- Argument from relativity (disagreement): Wide variation in moral beliefs suggests morality isn’t objective.
- Mackie considers appeals to Plato's Forms as too bizarre to accept.
Nagel’s Response and Defense of Objectivity
- Nagel argues objectivity in morality arises from impersonal practical reasoning, not metaphysical properties.
- Disagreement in moral beliefs is explained by the complexity of moral reasoning, not lack of moral facts.
- The genetic fallacy: The origin of one’s moral beliefs doesn’t determine their truth or justification.
- Reason lets us step back from personal desires and ask what anyone ought to do, grounding morality objectively.
- Rejects the idea that all reasoning is just rationalization of emotion or culture.
Key Terms & Definitions
- Ethical Subjectivism — The view that moral judgments reflect individual or cultural attitudes, not objective facts.
- Emotivism — The theory that moral statements express emotional attitudes, not factual claims.
- Nihilism — The belief that moral values are not real; nothing is truly right or wrong.
- Objectivism — The stance that there are objective, universal moral truths.
- First-order Moral View — Direct claims about what actions are right or wrong.
- Second-order Moral View — Claims about the nature and status of morality itself.
- Independence Thesis — The idea that first- and second-order moral views are separate.
- Argument from Queerness — Mackie’s claim that objective moral properties would be metaphysically odd.
- Genetic Fallacy — Mistakenly judging the truth of a belief solely by its origin.
Action Items / Next Steps
- Review textbook chapters 3 and 17 (pages 33–48 and the introduction to Ch. 17).
- Distinguish between first- and second-order moral views and understand the independence thesis.
- Be able to summarize Mackie’s two main arguments against moral objectivity and Nagel’s responses.
- Prepare questions for the discussion board on any unclear concepts.