metaethics
Study of morality's nature
Metaethics is the branch of philosophy that examines the foundations of ethics itself—not what's right or wrong, but what we mean when we call something right or wrong.
It asks whether moral facts exist, whether ethical statements can be true or false, and where moral authority comes from.
Her metaethical views shaped how she approached practical questions like abortion and euthanasia.
Theory prioritizing mental processes
- prescriptivismEnforcing linguistic correctness
- naturalismWorldview excluding the supernatural
- intuitionismKnowledge through direct insight
- constructivismActive knowledge-building theory
relativism · subjectivism · objectivism · nihilism · sentimentalism · rationalism · universalism · particularism
Moral excellence
- rightnessState of being correct
- wrongnessState of being incorrect
- obligationRequired task or commitment
- dutyRequired moral task
virtue · values · reasons · oughts · permissibility · moral agency · moral responsibility · autonomy
Objective fact about goodness
- moral disagreementDispute about rightness
- moral progressAdvancement in collective virtue
Philosophy emphasizing ideal Forms
- KantianismDuty-centered moral philosophy
- AristotelianismPhilosophy derived from Stagira's sage
- utilitarianismGreatest-happiness moral theory
- StoicismVirtue-centered ancient philosophy
Study of language structure
- thought experimentsHypothetical scenarios for reasoning
- intuitionInstinctive immediate understanding
- semantic analysisStudy of linguistic meaning
- pragmaticsLanguage-in-context study
cognitivism
Theory prioritizing mental processes
- prescriptivismEnforcing linguistic correctness
- naturalismWorldview excluding the supernatural
- intuitionismKnowledge through direct insight
constructivism · relativism · subjectivism · objectivism · nihilism · sentimentalism · rationalism · universalism · particularism
goodness
Moral excellence
- rightnessState of being correct
- wrongnessState of being incorrect
- obligationRequired task or commitment
duty · virtue · values · reasons · oughts · permissibility · moral agency · moral responsibility · autonomy · dignity
moral truth
Objective fact about goodness
- moral disagreementDispute about rightness
- moral progressAdvancement in collective virtue
Platonism
Philosophy emphasizing ideal Forms
- KantianismDuty-centered moral philosophy
- AristotelianismPhilosophy derived from Stagira's sage
- utilitarianismGreatest-happiness moral theory
linguistic analysis
Study of language structure
- thought experimentsHypothetical scenarios for reasoning
- intuitionInstinctive immediate understanding
- semantic analysisStudy of linguistic meaning
metaethicsapplied ethics
Morality for real situations
casuistry · moral reasoning · ethical practice · bioethics · medical ethics