Meta Ethics

What Meta Ethics covers

What moral words mean rather than what is right: divine command theory, naturalism, the naturalistic fallacy and intuitionism.

The 4 subtopics

Each one has its own page.

• Divine Command TheoryRecall questions on how right and wrong are defined, what moral properties are grounded in, and why this counts as meta ethics.Open →
• Naturalism, Non-Naturalism and IntuitionismRecall questions on naturalism and utilitarian definitions of right and wrong, the naturalistic fallacy and Moore's open question argument, and non-naturalism and intuitionism with the problem of conflicting intuitions.Open →
• The Foundations of Divine Command TheoryRecall questions on what determines moral obligation, why commands bind, and the strength claimed for grounding morality in God.Open →
• The Naturalistic Fallacy and Non-NaturalismRecall questions on the strengths claimed for naturalism, Moore's naturalistic fallacy, non-naturalism and intuitionism and their weaknesses, and why divine command theory counts as cognitivist.Open →

What you need to know

Answer each one before you reveal it.

Take Meta Ethics further

The same content, four other ways.

Commonly confused

Pairs that lose marks when they are blurred together.

• Cognitivism vs Non-cognitivism

  Cognitivism: the view that moral statements make claims that can be true or false. Non-cognitivism: the view that moral statements express attitudes rather than state facts.

• Ethical naturalism vs Intuitionism

  Ethical naturalism: the view that moral facts are natural facts open to empirical enquiry. Intuitionism: the view that moral properties are non-natural and known directly.

• Emotivism vs Prescriptivism

  Emotivism: the view that a moral judgement expresses feeling and seeks to arouse it. Prescriptivism: the view that a moral judgement issues a universal command.

Questions from this topic

Each one with the model answer underneath.

1. 1

   According to Divine Command Theory, how are 'right' and 'wrong' defined?

   Model answer

   'Right' is defined as what God commands, and 'wrong' is defined as what God forbids.

2. 2

   What does Divine Command Theory ground moral properties in?

   Model answer

   The will of God.

3. 3

   Why is Divine Command Theory considered a meta-ethical position rather than a normative theory?

   Model answer

   Because it addresses the foundation and nature of moral properties (grounding them in God's will) rather than prescribing specific moral rules.

4. 4

   What strength does Divine Command Theory offer regarding the foundation of morality?

   Model answer

   It provides an absolute and objective foundation for morality.

5. 5

   How does Divine Command Theory provide clear moral guidance?

   Model answer

   By deriving moral guidance from religious texts and traditions.

6. 6

   State the Euthyphro dilemma as a challenge to Divine Command Theory.

   Model answer

   Is something good because God commands it, or does God command it because it is good?

What is inside Levo

Six ways to work the same material.

Meta Ethics revision questions

What does Meta Ethics cover in AQA A-Level Religious Studies?

4 subtopics: divine command theory, naturalism, non-naturalism and intuitionism, the foundations of divine command theory and the naturalistic fallacy and non-naturalism. Each one has its own page with questions and model answers.

How is Meta Ethics organised?

By the AQA 7062 specification, subtopic by subtopic, so it matches the order you are taught it in.