Prescriptivism

What is Prescriptivism?

R. M. Hare put forward a theory of ethical language that claimed that moral judgements are prescriptive - they express a preference for a certain behaviour. Moral judgements have universal qualities, as ethical statements say what ought to be done.Hare regarded universal prescriptivism as superior, as it suggests that everyone should do the same thing in the same situation. Ethical statements express an individual's will/wishes, but moral judgements also are objective and command certain behaviours. Despite ethical language being used to express opinions, they are not just an expression of feeling. Instead, they additionally tell us how we ought to behave. e.g) 'You shall not murder,' does not just express a personal revulsion towards killing, but it commands that everyone should follow the 'no-murder' rule.Prescriptive ethical language is similar to a doctor's prescription - it varies according to your condition.

Universalizability PrincipleHare argued that when an individual prefers one thing over another, this implies the preference would be good for anyone. e.g) If I preferred to care for a sick relative than go to the pub, this implies that I would want someone to care for me when I was sick, over going to the pub. Hare's theory of the universal nature of morals was influenced by his life. He fought as a soldier during WW2, and spent three years in a Japanese Prisoner of War camp, Changi prison. The brutality of the Japanese Prisoner of War camp affected his attitude. He therefore developed a secular version of Jesus' 'golden rule', 'Do unto others as you would have them do to you.' He argued that no abuse can be universalisable, as the abuser is likely not to want to be abused themselves.

Evaluation

Strengths: Prescriptivism recognises the persuasive nature of ethical statements, developing the subjective, arbitrary understanding of ethical language found in emotivism. The universalisability principle is a good rule to live by - it encourages people to be considerate of others, and generally it describes how people see morality. e.g) If I think abortion is morally wrong for others to do, then I am not likely to have one myself. I expect the same morals from others that I exhibit. Weaknesses: Morals cannot be universal - surely an abuser would excuse his own abuse, justifying it as acceptable. Whilst we expect a high moral standard from others, we usually are more lenient with our own morality, making excuses for any contradictions between our beliefs and behaviour. J.L. Mackie argued that morals are not universal. Someone else's preferences may be different to our own, e.g) freedom fighters vs. terrorists, a needle-phobic vs. a tattoo artist