This is Dr. Stansel with a lecture on moral arguments. First of all, moral arguments are arguments. A moral argument will have at least one premise, usually more, and it will have a conclusion. What makes an argument a moral argument is that the conclusion makes a moral claim, and the premises support that conclusion.
Also, every moral argument should have at least one premise that makes a moral claim. Here's an example of a moral argument. Let me suggest that you pause the lecture here and take a minute to read it. In this argument, the conclusion makes a moral claim that it's morally wrong to eat meat. And premise two makes a moral claim that it is morally required for us to reduce suffering when we can.
Here's another example. Why don't you take a moment to pause the lecture and read through. The conclusion of this argument is a moral claim, namely that in some locations it's morally required to eat meat.
And we also find that the first premise makes a moral claim. Something is morally good when it preserves the natural environment. This is our last example.
Please take a moment to pause the lecture and read through it. The conclusion states that the school system must provide free busing. We know that this is a moral claim because of the context and the word must. The conclusion doesn't use the word moral or the or the word morally, it would be nice if it did. But in real life, in a lot of the readings that we'll read, authors are not stating their conclusions clearly using the terms moral or morally.
And you have to use good judgment and look at the context and determine whether they're making a moral argument. This is a moral argument. The conclusion being that school systems are morally required to provide free busing.
Premise one makes a moral claim. Everyone has a right to an education. And the term right is a moral concept. And that can indicate that a moral claim is being made.