Single Idea 2855

[catalogued under 22. Metaethics / A. Ethics Foundations / 2. Source of Ethics / i. Prescriptivism]

Full Idea

Hare says words are secondarily evaluative (e.g. 'soft-hearted') if prescriptive meaning varies but description is constant; primarily evaluative words ('good', 'right', 'ought') are the opposite, with the descriptive content varying.

Gist of Idea

In primary evaluative words like 'ought' prescription is constant but description can vary

Source

report of Richard M. Hare (The Language of Morals [1952]) by Brad W. Hooker - Prescriptivism p.640

Book Reference

'Cambridge Dictionary of Philosophy', ed/tr. Audi,Robert [CUP 1995], p.640


A Reaction

I would have thought that the prescriptive meaning of the evaluative word could at least vary in strength. You really, really ought to do that.