6. Are Ethical Statements Meaningless.pptx - LO: Consider...

Are ethical statements meaningful
or meaningless?
Do Now:
Without looking at your notes, write a
short description of what the topic of
meta-ethics is about
3/8/22
LO: Consider the arguments for and against cognitive and non-cognitive views of
meta-ethics
Challenge : Write a description for normative
ethics and applied ethics

Are ethical statements meaningful
or meaningless?
3/8/22
LO: Consider the arguments for and against cognitive and non-cognitive views of
meta-ethics
Applied
ethics-
Discussion of
practical issues
in ethical
decision-
making e.g.
euthanasia
Normative
Ethics-
Discussion of
systems and
theories of
ethical decision
making e.g.
utilitarianism,
natural law.
Meta Ethics-
Discussion
about meaning
of ethical terms
and nature of
ethics e.g.
whether ‘good’
actually exists.

The growing interest in language
While discussion of whether goodness can
be found or whether it is merely a matter of
opinion go some way back in philosophy, it
was in the 20
th
century that a focus on
language began to dominate philosophical
thought.