Naturalism

What is Naturalism?

A meta-ethical theory that argues objective moral principles can be derived from empirical evidence within the natural world

Naturalists are empiricists, what does this mean?

They believe knowledge can only be gained through experience of the real world

Naturalists believe in moral realism, what does this mean?

Moral facts are objective and exist independently from the human mind

How do naturalists argue ethical terms are definable?

Using non-ethical natural terms e.g ‘happiness’

How do naturalists conclude lying is wrong?

Statement ‘lying is wrong’ is equivalent to naturalist saying ‘lying causes suffering’

Word ‘wrong’ can be substituted with a natural feature of lying that is observed and verifiable through sensory experience

How does David Hume advocate Naturalism?

Arguing humans are born ‘tabula rasa’, Latin for ‘clean slate’, the idea no part of one’s character is predetermined at birth

According to Naturalism, what are ethical statements?

Objective and universal truths, allowing for the creation of absolute moral laws or principles

What is F.H. Bradley’s works?

‘Ethical Studies’ - British philosopher

What does Bradley introduce?

A meta-ethical approach with features of Naturalism that proposes the goal of moral behaviour is self-realisation

What does Bradley call the end goal of humans?

The ‘concrete universal’, meaning it is a universal goal that has a fixed imperative and is intrinsically part of the whole of society

What does Bradley try to find the ‘middle ground’ between?

Utilitarian theories of hedonism and pleasure and Kantian theories of duty and obligation

What does Bradley argue?

Ethical statements express propositions about each individual’s integral place in society that are provable true or false

What does Bradley teach is to be moral?

To behave in accordance with the moral traditions of one’s country and education

What does Bradley teach is a ‘good’ act?

Relative to the community a person is in and what their role is in society

What is a Bradley quote linking to the goal of humans to fulfil one’s duty with hard work and obedience?

“We have found self-realisation, duty and happiness in one…our function as an organ of the social organism.”

What does Bradley reject?

The idea that there is an objective moral law that exists independently of humans and moral individualism (each person makes their own morality)

What is the synoptic link for Bradley’s ethic?

Determinism and free will in which there are discussions about the extent to which humans are free to choose their actions or are limited by upbringing and genetics

What is the Hume’s law challenge?

Hume argues there is a significant difference between descriptive statements and prescriptive statements so you cannot derive an ‘ought’ from an ‘is’

How does this challenge Naturalism?

It shows that the transition from statements that describe facts about the world do not enable us to deduce moral statements that give a rational conclusion about how humans should behave

What does Hume challenge?

The idea that the same philosophical reasoning processes used in Moral Rationalism can be used in Moral Naturalism

What is Moore’s Naturalistic Fallacy challenge?

An argument that ‘good’ cannot be defined because ethical facts are not the same as natural ones

What does this argument point out?

Facts about the natural world do not support claims about moral terms and cannot be used to determine acts which are good

What does Moore suggest?

There is no way of proving empirically that any one definition is accurate because complex terms such as ‘good’ is not composed of any parts which can be studied

What is a Moore quote linking to the Naturalistic Fallacy?

“If I am asked ‘what is good?’ my answer is that good is good, and that is the end of the matter.”

What is the Open Question challenge?

An argument associated with Moore’s Naturalistic Fallacy that argues terms like ‘good’ are indefinable according to natural qualities because this leads to open questions

What do open questions lack?

A simple answer - Moore claims the most a Naturalist can do is give examples of things that have goodness as part of their nature; they cannot define goodness itself