Ethical Intuitionism By the end of this lesson
Ethical Intuitionism By the end of this lesson you will have: • Learnt the features of ethical intuitionism • Applied this to an Essay • Considered the extent to which ethical intuitionism is a response to ethical naturalism
Homework – Due 23 rd November • DUE TODAY: I will be checking that you have completed your revision notes • DUE NEXT WEEK: • * Re-write your virtue ethics assessment using my comments to make amendments, Where you make amendments WRITE THESE IN A DIFFERENT COLOUR so I can see that you have made the changes. You can rewrite this either on paper or typed up. • * Complete essay planning in your booklet for ‘explain ethical naturalism’ and ‘explain the challenges against ethical naturalism’
Spec Check Ethical Naturalism Challenges Objective moral laws exist independently of human beings; moral truths can be discovered by using our minds in an intuitive way; intuitive ability is innate and the same for all moral agents; intuition needs a mature mind so not infallible; allows for objective moral values. H. A Prichard; ‘ought to do’ has no definition; recognition of what we ‘ought to do’ by intuition; two ways of thinking (general and moral) No proof of moral intuition exists; intuitive ‘truths’ can differ widely; no obvious way to resolve conflicting intuitions • Whether moral terms are intuitive • The extent to which ethical statements are not objective
Essay Feedback – Dos and Don’ts DO Don't Stick to the PEEL (Ao 1) and PESEL (Ao 2) structure Put A 02 material in AO 1 Answer the whole of the question Stick to suggested lenghts – Ao 1 around 2 sides of A 4 and Ao 2 around 2. 5/3 sides Stick to the specification – use the key words Use extra scholars from the reading log
Starter - Cryptogram • Complete the cryptogram on intuitionism on page 39 • THEN: Discuss with your partner – what is intuitionism?
Intuitionism - Task • Read pages 40&41 on intuitionism and make notes on an A 3 sheet of paper
Moore’s Intuitionism • Ethical values can’t be defined – e. g. I can’t say ‘it is wrong to kill’ • However, there are moral truths which are self-evident – our intuition (gut instinct) (Objective moral laws exist independently of human beings) • We discover these truths by reasoning and thinking about situations. (moral truths can be discovered by using our minds in an intuitive way) • These truths are objective and exist independently of human beings – which just can’t make statements out of them. They are true for everyone. • E. G everyone’s intuition teaches them that murder is wrong
Moore’s Intuitionism • Moore’s evidence for this is that people tend to have the same gut feeling (or intuition) about certain moral truths. (intuitive ability is innate and the same for all moral agents) • Therefore, some things are intrinsically right or wrong • When you ask a group of people ‘what is good’ they have a similar intuition, but commit a fallacy if they start trying to define good in words • For Moore, good is indefinable.
Moore’s Intuitionism • However, Moore does concede that whilst moral truths are OBJECTIVE and most people have a mind mature enough to understand their intuition, not everyone has the ability to access their intuition (intuition needs a mature mind so not infallible) • E. g Children or people with mental disturbances can’t access their intuition. • This doesn’t mean that the moral truth doesn’t exist, it just means not everyone can access it
Prichard’s Intuitionism • Prichard agreed with Moore on the basis of humans having an intuition which reveals moral truths • TASK: Read Page 52 of your reading log on Prichard and draw a Venn diagram which represents the similarities and differences between Prichard’s and Moore’s ideas
H. A Prichard • Agrees that no definition can be made of ‘ought’ • Agrees that we all recognise the properties of ‘good’ • Believed there were two types of thinking ; reason and intuition • Reason = looks at the facts of a situation • Intuition = shows us where our moral obligation lies • So Intuition helps us answer moral truths, and reason helps us answer other worldly truths • H. A Prichard; ‘ought to do’ has no definition; recognition of what we ‘ought to do’ by intuition; two ways of thinking (general and moral)
Essay Planning • Using your essay planning booklet, let’s plan: • ‘Explain Ethical Intuitionism’ (20)
Ethical Intuitionism By the end of this lesson you will have: • Learnt the features of ethical intuitionism • Applied this to an Essay • Considered the extent to which ethical intuitionism is a response to ethical naturalism
Challenges against Intuitionism By the end of this lesson you will have: • Understood the three challenges against intuitionism • Collaborated as a group to think about the challenges yourselves • Planned an AO 2 essay on the challenges
Spec Check Ethical Naturalism Challenges Objective moral laws exist independently of human beings; moral truths can be discovered by using our minds in an intuitive way; intuitive ability is innate and the same for all moral agents; intuition needs a mature mind so not infallible; allows for objective moral values. H. A Prichard; ‘ought to do’ has no definition; recognition of what we ‘ought to do’ by intuition; two ways of thinking (general and moral) No proof of moral intuition exists; intuitive ‘truths’ can differ widely; no obvious way to resolve conflicting intuitions • Whether moral terms are intuitive • The extent to which ethical statements are not objective
Reading & Writing • Read pages 41 and 52 of your reading logs • Each pair will be given a title to write a paragraph on. • No proof of moral intuition exists • Intuitive ‘truths’ can differ widely • No obvious way to resolve conflicting intuitions
No proof of moral intuition exists • Intuitionism may be considered meaningless as it is non-verifiable. • We can’t actually prove empirically that intuitions exist • This might mean people are reluctant to believe intuitionism • This undermines its validity and its objectivity
Intuitive truths differ widely • In practise, children or people with mental difficulties may not be able to access their intuition • Indeed, even adults of mature minds can have differing intuitions • These can be influenced by religion and culture • This makes it a challenge because it undermines the objectivity and validity
No way to resolve conflicting intuitions • Some people have different intuitions as to what is right or wrong, despite us all apparently having access to an objective truth through intuition • If two people have differing intuitions, how do you prove who is right or wrong. • This could create conflict of opinion • For example, some people’s intuitions believe sex before marriage is wrong, others tells them it is okay…how do we know who is right?
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