Examine the different ways in which good is used in meta-ethics Essay Example for Free

fancy the several(predicate) ways in which just is used in meta-ethics Essaya) Examine the different ways in which good is used in meta-ethics.Meta-ethics is the study of the meaning of chaste vocabulary. It describes presuppositions and language of morality. There ar a number of different ethical theories for the meaning of good used in meta-ethics. The four main headings under which most acceptable theories can fit under in some(a) shape or form. These are Ethical Naturalism (or Definism), Intuitionism, Emotivism and Presciptivism.Definism possibleness states that all ethical statements are convertible to non-ethical statements and can, thusly, be approached in the same way. In the same way that we can verify a scientific fact, ethical naturalism theory states that we can verify an ethical statement. They are both prepositional. Definism states that ethical statements are just a type of short hand for more convoluted propositions. So therefore, in cost of Ethical Na turalism, if I were to use the term good in a number of examples, it would just be a summary word to sum up all the other words I press to have incorporated into my convict.For example, in the sentence I am good at football, the word good is used to mean skilled or talented. This does not mean that good means skilled or talented, but precisely that both of these words are incorporated in the single use of good. In another sentence, good could be used as a short hand for a tout ensemble different set of words. In the sentence, It is good to see you, good is used to mean pleasant, nice or heart warming. Again this does not mean that good means pleasant or nice, but simply that both these words are incorporated in the single use of good.A contradictory theory to Definism is Intuitionism. Intuitionism states that good is indefinable. Intuitionism also holds that basic moral truths are objective and stand independently of what people my push down or think. Intuitionism holds that we should pick out our moral principles through what we think or facial expression. There is no translation of good that can always hold true. For example, if someone were to plant good as pleasing, an Intuitionist would act by pointing out that not all pleasing things are good.A similar theory to Intuitionism is Emotivism. An Emotivist conceptualizes that moral judgements simply express our feelings on a subject. If someone were to claim something was good, an Emotivist would see this as an emotional exclamation, not a truth claim, and would take it to mean that the person approves of the thing/action/person etc. some other passably similar theory is Prescriptivism. Prescriptivists believe that in using moral language such as good/bad or right/wrong, we are simply prescribing our opinions. In other words were are saying, do this, and let everyone do the same in the same situation. Therefore, if someone were to say giving to almsgiving is good, what he or she is really saying is you ought to give to charity. This again, means that good not used as a universal truth, but in this case it is used as a universal prescription.In summary in Definism, the term good is simply a short hand for more complex propositions that apply to that particular example. In Intuitionism holds that good in indefinable and therefore has no universal meaning. Emotivists believe when we use the term good or make other moral judgements, we are simply expressing our feelings. So, therefore, if I say something is good, this is simply an exclamation and therefore cannot be true or false and cannot be sound upon. Lastly, Prescriptivism holds that when we say something is good we are prescribing a particular opinion and making it known to other that we feel they should do the same.b) Anything people approve of must be good. DiscussThe response to this question depends on how we define the term good. Can we loosely define good as moralistic? There is a commonalty theory that believes th at our morals our simply a product of our culture and background. Therefore, there will be different moral codes in different societies. If each individual society has equal validity, it must be concur that there can be no universal moral code. This theory is called heathen Relativism. Cultural Relativism therefore holds that good means socially approved. Therefore if we rearrange the above statement, replacing the word good with the Cultural Relativists definition, we find ourselves looking at a slightly odd sentence which looks as follows Anything that people approve of must be socially approved.Now there are two ways to interpret this sentence. The beginning(a) would be to question the number of people included in the generalization of the word people. If the sentence is intend to mean, if anybody approves of something, it must be socially approved, then the statement is not true. However, we can also take the sentence to mean, If the legal age of people within a society appr ove of something, then it is said to be socially approved. If we swap good back into the sentence we end up with a statement that looks like this if the majority of people within a society approve of something then it is good. Thus we have formed the primeval principle of Cultural relativism.In terms of the other theories that define good, only one can be applied. Definism would argue that the statement is simply a short hand for more complex propositions. So in this case, good is used to mean beneficial or correct. Since this is possibly true, Ethical naturalists would have a fairly strong argument here. Emotivism, Intuitionism or Prescriptivism cannot really apply here as they are all infixed and based on opinion and in this case good cannot be used an exclamation of opinion.