Meta Ethics Essay
Discussion of The Issues Raised in Meta Ethics
Ethics is the study of how people behave, and how they should behave. It is based
on ideas of what is morally good . But, in order to understand ethics, a definition of
good needs to be determined. Here, one sees that such ideas will vary from person
to person and from culture to culture. Likewise, such ideas explain why there is
such a variety of moral systems in use today and a marked difference in the level of
commitment to a personal moral code.
Ethics and ethical language, the study of which Meta Ethics is part, can be split into
three distinct branches: descriptive, normative and meta ethical. On the one hand,
descriptive ethics ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
For instance, if one were asked to define yellow , one is able to say what yellow is
like (such as Yellow is like a banana s jacket ); but, one unable to say completely and
accurately what yellowness is. Thus, in the same way, one is able to say what
good is like, yet one is unable to say what good is. Naturally, it could be argued that
good actions add to the well being of all concerned; but, again, good actions depend
very much on individual preference and one s individual idea of good .
The puzzle, then, of how to define good has intrigued philosophers for thousands
of years. Indeed, the ancient Greek philosopher, Aristotle, defined good as being
how far something fulfilled its purpose in life: for example, a good building is one
which looks pleasing aesthetically, provides comfort and shelters from the
elements. Similarly, a good person is one who fulfils well the role into which he
or she has been placed. To illustrate this point further, a good slave works well as a
slave; and, again, a good ruler rules the community effectively, maximising
everyone s happiness. This approach has its origins in the Greek word telos
meaning purpose and is therefore referred to as the teleological approach to ethics, a
purpose based criterion for gauging what is good . A differing method is the
deontological approach to ethics, which has its origins in the