Meta Ethics

moral judgements are dependent on the standards and social conditions that exist

moral rules are an expression of the culture and nothing more

some things are right and some things are wrong and that these things are fixed for all time and all people

belief that genuine right and wrong exist

there are no objective moral facts

rape and murder are always wrong they do not change culturally

provides a fixed ethical code to measure actions

individual circumstances

explains the reasons why everyone has differing opinions

you still need some elements of absolutism

when we make moral decision we simply choose the action that brings about more of these good things

it has a clear account of the meaning of good in ethics

takes no account of rights even in life and death situations

ethics can be defined using the same natural terms as maths or science

simplistic in its account of moral knowledge

is = factual, objective statement ought = a statement of ethical value

theory that critiques naturalistic theories the attempt to define good in terms of something that can be identified in the world

You cannot go from an "is" (statement of fact) to an "ought" (a moral)