Notes on Ethics and Metaethics Lecture

Introduction to Ethics

Ethics is the branch of philosophy that studies morality (right and wrong behavior).
Important ethical questions:
- Is it wrong to steal to feed your family?
- Is there such a thing as a good lie?

Definition: Metaethics studies the foundations of morality itself.
Key questions in metaethics:
- What is morality?
- Is morality objective or subjective?
- Are moral values cultural conventions or universal truths?

Moral Realism: Belief in moral facts that exist like scientific facts.
- Moral propositions are either true or false.
- Common moral intuitions: certain acts (e.g., gratuitous violence) are universally wrong.
Grounding Problem: Challenges in finding a foundation for moral beliefs that is clear and objective.
Moral Antirealism: Belief that moral propositions do not refer to objective features of the world.
- Suggests morality may differ between cultures.

Moral Absolutism: Belief in unchanging moral facts that apply universally.
Moral Relativism: Acceptance of multiple moral positions on a topic.
- Descriptive Cultural Relativism: Acknowledges that moral beliefs differ among cultures.
- Normative Cultural Relativism: Claims that moral facts differ across cultures (problematic implications).

Moral Subjectivism: Moral statements reflect personal attitudes, not objective truths.
- Example: Capital punishment viewed differently by different individuals but lacks objective moral facts.

Ethical theories provide frameworks for navigating moral dilemmas and making consistent judgments about right and wrong.
Each theory has:
- Starting Assumptions: Foundational beliefs upon which the theory is built (e.g., natural law theory assumes a divine order).
- Moral Principles: Shared principles among theories that guide moral decision-making.

Many theories agree on principles such as:
- Wrongness of unjustified suffering.
- Varying viewpoints on killing (humans vs. animals).