Naturalism

What is Naturalism?

ethical theories that hold that morals are part of the natural world and can be recognised or observed in some way

What type of theory is Naturalism?

Cognitivist - moral truths can be verified

What are Naturalists?

Absolutists - moral evil and goodness are absolute facts of the natural world; they are fixed things

When someone says a moral statement, what does a Naturalist believe that they are saying?

expressing a moral truth - part of the reality of the universe

• not an opinion

What perspective does Bradley take?

Naturalism

What perspective does Foot take?

Naturalism

What did Bradley claim?

ethics is something that can be explained by the concrete absolute reality we observe - place we hold in society, which directs what we should do (duty)

What is Bradley’s quote on social order?

“What he has to do depends on what his place is”

How is Aquinas’ Eternal Law used to develop Naturalism?

idea that we can look into the world and perceive morals from the purposes of life that we see in the world

• links goodness to divine will and the kind of creatures God has made us to be

How is Bradley’s fixed moral social order highly questionable?

twentieth century had many radical changes in Western countries - idea of individual freedom or self-determination and equality for all undermined concepts of class, fixed gender roles and institutions such as marriage

• changes overtime - how can it be fixed?

Which Empiricist challenges Naturalism?

Hume

What does Hume suggest about moral statements?

not deprived from reason, but rather from sentiment

• when we see something we think is wrong, the ‘wrongness’ comes from our sentiment, not from our observation

What is Hume is/ought problem?

we cannot go from a fact (is) to a moral (ought)

• e.g. sex can lead to reproduction (fact) does not always result in reproduction (ought)

What is Hume’s Fork?

claims meaningful knowledge is either analytic or synthetic

• moral statements do not fit Hume’s fork - they are meaningless!

Which Naturalist criticises Hume?

Foot

How does Foot describe moral evil?

“a kind of natural defeat”

What does Foot argue?

there are virtues, characteristics or behaviours that aim at some good (Aristotle) - these virtues can be recognised or observed by watching how a person acts in consideration of those virtues

What is Foot’s example of an oak tree?

no difference between saying a living thing has ‘good roots’ and saying a human being has ‘good dispositions of will’

What does Foot say about moral judgement?

“A moral judgement says something about the action of any individual to whom it applies”

What does Mackie believe?

naturalist: moral rules can be observed - based on tradition rather than being absolute constructs

How could Mackie be used to criticise Naturalism?

rules themselves are not facts - accepted to varying degrees by those inside the intuition - if they were absolute, they would all be absolutely accepted

Which two scholars are supportive of Naturalism?

• Bradley

• Foot

Which two scholars are critical of Naturalism?

• Hume

• Mackie

What are the strengths of Naturalism?

• Natural - everyone can experience

• Universal

• Solid guideline

What are the weakness of Naturalism?

• Situation may have evidence to support it whilst breaking the law - pointless

• Right & Wrongs are not subjective but objective

• Evidence? What do accept/ignore?

• Hume is-ought problem