moral statements are ways of instructing people how to behave but don't refer to objectively real properties
key thinker: Hare
1 of 4
Hare's prescriptivism (5)
moral language guides conduct > expressing feelings + influencing
two types of prescriptive meaning
1) imperatives (right + wrong) i.e "murder is wrong" = "don't murder"
2) value judgements (good + bad) i.e "giving to charity is good" (commendation of particular activity + guidance)
"good" commends something as praiseworthy without describing objects themselves (relies upon particular set of standards
if "good" refers to "morally good" there must be certain standards that we adopt + apply
standards demand consistency - applied to "right" + "ought" which intend to guide actions + must be universalised to provide guidance
nothing about facts entails moral judgements so there are no objectively correct moral standards
2 of 4
Criticisms (12)
Warnock: doe smoral language have any functions apart from prescription? We might be confessing/complaining/pleading etc
RESPONSE
Hare: prescriptive nature of ethical language is its primary function - to guide conduct
RESPONSE
Warnock: just bc Hare connects ethical language to action doesn't mean it's prescriptive (could be linked to attitude of what we want)
3 of 4
Moral reasoning + criticisms (12)
Hare: prescriptivism shows moral discussion is rational bc we can ask reasons for making particular prescriptions which require consistency i.e:
P1 - do not take innocent human life
P2 - abortion is taking of innocent human life
C - ∴ do not commit abortion
CRITICISM
Warnock: only rationality within system is consistency i.e if one universalises idea that racism is morally right, you can't objectively disagree with this bc even if one was a different race + agreed with it, it's still consistent
RESPONSE
Hare: to frustrate one's own interests is irrational so example of "do unto others" makes rational sense
CRITICISM
so do other objectionable ideas
moral standards aren't objectively correct i.e different moral standards between two people
Comments
No comments have yet been made