OCR A-level Religious Studies (H573) · Ethics · Meta-ethics
Mini-Lesson
Meta-Ethics
Meta-ethics steps back from asking 'what is right?' to ask what moral words mean and whether moral claims can be true. Positions split into cognitivism (moral claims describe facts) and non-cognitivism (they do not).
Work through each screen, weigh the range of scholarly views, answer the questions as you go and collect ⭐ stars. Press Start when you are ready.
The question
What is meta-ethics?
Normative ethics asks which acts are right. Meta-ethics asks the deeper questions:
What does 'good' or 'right' actually mean?
Are moral statements true or false (like facts), or something else?
Cognitivism: moral statements make claims that can be true or false.
Non-cognitivism: moral statements do not state facts — they express something else, like feelings.
Quick check
Meta-ethics
?What kind of question does meta-ethics ask?
Naturalism
Ethical naturalism
Naturalism is cognitivist. It holds that moral facts are natural facts about the world, which can be observed or worked out.
For example, 'good' might just mean 'what maximises happiness' (a natural, measurable fact).
So moral statements can be true or false, verified like other empirical claims.
Problem: critics say you cannot simply reduce moral 'good' to a natural property without losing something.
Intuitionism
Intuitionism (Moore)
G. E. Moore is also cognitivist but rejects naturalism. He argues 'good' is a simple, unanalysable, non-natural property, known directly by intuition — as we just 'see' that yellow is yellow.
The naturalistic fallacy: it is a mistake to define 'good' in natural terms (e.g. as 'pleasure').
The open question argument: for any natural definition of good (e.g. 'good = pleasant'), we can still sensibly ask 'but is the pleasant really good?' — so they are not identical.
Quick check
Moore on good
?What does G. E. Moore intuitionism claim about the word 'good'?
Sort it
Cognitivist or non-cognitivist?
Tap a theory or claim, then which camp it belongs to.
✅ Cognitivist
💬 Non-cognitivist
Emotivism
Emotivism (Ayer and Stevenson)
Emotivism is non-cognitivist. A. J. Ayer (drawing on logical positivism) argued moral statements are not factual claims but expressions of emotion — the 'boo/hurrah' theory.
'Stealing is wrong' just expresses disapproval — 'Stealing: boo!' — and tries to influence others feelings.
C. L. Stevenson developed this: moral statements express attitudes and aim to persuade others to share them.
Quick check
Emotivism
?On the emotivist view of Ayer and Stevenson, saying 'murder is wrong' does what?
Prescriptivism
Prescriptivism (Hare)
R. M. Hare prescriptivism is also non-cognitivist, but says moral statements do more than vent feeling — they prescribe action.
To say 'you ought to do X' is to recommend or command it.
And moral prescriptions are universalisable: if I say you ought to do X, I commit to saying anyone in that situation ought to do X.
Evaluate: non-cognitivism explains moral disagreement and motivation well, but seems to make morality merely subjective; cognitivism keeps moral truth but must explain what moral facts are.
Match it
Match the theory
Tap a theory, then its central claim.
Theory
Claim
Quick check
Hare prescriptivism
?According to Hare, what are moral statements doing, and what feature do they have?
Recap
The big ideas to take into the exam
Meta-ethics: the study of the meaning and status of moral language, not particular right acts
Naturalism: cognitivist: moral facts are natural facts that can be verified
Intuitionism (Moore): cognitivist: good is simple, non-natural, known by intuition; naturalistic fallacy
Emotivism (Ayer, Stevenson): non-cognitivist: moral claims express emotions and attitudes (boo/hurrah)
Prescriptivism (Hare): non-cognitivist: moral claims prescribe action and are universalisable
Meta-ethics underpins how seriously we can take any moral claim. Press Finish.
🏆
Mini-lesson complete!
⭐⭐⭐
You have mapped naturalism, intuitionism, emotivism and prescriptivism. 🔎
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Next: test yourself in the Evaluate stage Confidence Quiz, then lock it in with Verify.
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