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Single Idea 11056

[filed under theme 22. Metaethics / A. Ethics Foundations / 2. Source of Ethics / a. Idealistic ethics ]

Full Idea

The naturalistic fallacy ..consists in the contention that good means nothing but some simple or complex notion, that can be defined in terms of natural qualities.

Gist of Idea

The naturalistic fallacy claims that natural qualties can define 'good'

Source

G.E. Moore (Principia Ethica [1903], §044)

Book Ref

Moore,G.E.: 'Principia Ethica' [CUP 1980], p.73


A Reaction

Presumably aimed at those who think morality is pleasure and pain. We could hardly attribute morality to non-human qualities. I connect morality to human deliberative functions.


The 11 ideas with the same theme [ethics deriving from a few simple lofty concepts]:

The good cannot be expressed in words, but imprints itself upon the soul [Plato, by Celsus]
The supreme good is harmony of spirit [Seneca]
The good life aims at perfections, or absolute laws, or what is absolutely desirable [Green,TH]
The most boring and dangerous of all errors is Plato's invention of pure spirit and goodness [Nietzsche]
The Open Question argument leads to anti-realism and the fact-value distinction [Boulter on Moore,GE]
Moore cannot show why something being good gives us a reason for action [MacIntyre on Moore,GE]
Can learning to recognise a good friend help us to recognise a good watch? [MacIntyre on Moore,GE]
The naturalistic fallacy claims that natural qualties can define 'good' [Moore,GE]
Every human yearns for an unattainable transcendent good [Weil]
Beauty, goodness and truth are only achieved by applying full attention [Weil]
Beauty is the proof of what is good [Weil]