Flashcards
ME - Intuitionism
Cards in this deck (19)
- 1What is intuitionism?Intuitionism is a theory that moral truths are known by intuition.
- 2What does G.E. Moore say about the word good?G.E. Moore states that good is a simple, unanalysable property, just as a primary colour is. Moore adapted a version of utilitarianism in that he said the right acts are those that produce the most good, but also stated that goodness cannot be identified with some natural property such as pleasure.
- 3Quote from: G.E. Moore‘If I am asked ‘what is good?’ my answer is good is good, and that is the end of the matter.’
- 4How does Moore state we know if something is good?Moore stated that we cannot use our senses to tell whether something is good, but instead we can use our ‘moral intuition’ and so we can still say whether a moral statement is true or false.
- 5We recognise goodness when we see it, we just know if something is good - What did Moore call this?A 'simple notion'
- 6What does he compare it to?Trying to define the colour yellow – ‘We know what yellow is and can recognise it wherever it is seen, but we cannot actually define yellow. In the same way, we know what good is but we cannot actually define it’.
- 7What moral claim does Pritchard discuss?discusses the moral claim ‘Ought’ by saying that not definition can be given to the word
- 8How does this relate to Moore's idea about Good?we all recognise its properties – everyone recognises we ought to do a certain action making moral obligations obvious.
- 9What did Pritchard think the two types of thinking were?Reason and intuition
- 10What is the difference between reason and intuition?Reason looks at the facts of a situation and intuition decides what to do. In any situation, Pritchard thought that intuition would show the particular action was right and where moral obligations lay.
- 11What problem did Pritchard recognise?The problem that people’s morals were different, but said that this was because some people had developed their moral thinking further than others.
- 12Does Pritchard list any fundamental obligations?Pritchard does not explain why, nor does he attempt to list any fundamental obligations or moral virtues. Where there is a conflict of obligations he says we must simply look at the situation and decide which obligation is greater.
- 13What was W. D. Ross?He was a deontologist believing that certain types of actions, which he called, prima facie duties, were right.
- 14What were the seven prima facie duties?1. Duty to fidelity (e.g. promise keeping)
2. Duties of reparation – when we have done something wrong
3. Duties of gratitude
4. Duties of justice
5. Duties of beneficence – helping others
6. Duties of self-improvement
7. Duties of non-maleficence – not harming others - 15What happens when these duties conflict?Ross says when these prima facie duties conflict, we must follow the one we think is right in the situation, and sometimes one prima facie duty will have to give way to another. This is why they are called prima facie duties – duties at first sight.
- 16Criticism: DutiesRoss does not tell us how we know what a prima facie duty actually is or how we decide to obey which one in cases of conflict.
- 17Criticism: ConclusivityThe idea of knowing what good is by intuition and not be evidence is not proven conclusively by Moore – he says that you either agree with it or have not thought about it properly
- 18Criticism: Right or wrongHow do we know whether our intuition is correct, since people come to many different conclusions, whether using intuition or reason to reach their decisions.
- 19Criticism: Cultural influenceMoral intuitions come largely from social conditioning and upbringing and differ between cultures, so it is hard to see how such intuitions can be a reliable guide for objective ethical truths.
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- a2 Religious Studies (Ethics) Flashcards on ME - Intuitionism, created by Ella Foster on 22/06/2017.
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