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Single Idea 2707

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

Full Idea

Prescriptivists claim that there are rules of reasoning which govern non-descriptive as well as descriptive speech acts. The standard example is possible logical inconsistency between contradictory prescriptions.

Gist of Idea

If there can be contradictory prescriptions, then reasoning must be involved

Source

Richard M. Hare (Universal Prescriptivism [1991], p.455)

Book Ref

'A Companion to Ethics', ed/tr. Singer,Peter [Blackwell 1993], p.455

A Reaction

The example doesn't seem very good. Inconsistency can appear in any area of thought, but that isn't enough to infer full 'rules of reasoning'. I could desire two incompatible crazy things.

The 17 ideas with the same theme [morality is our assertion of universal duties]:

5168 Moral approval and disapproval concerns classes of actions, rather than particular actions [Ayer]
22331 Moral statements are imperatives rather than the avowals of emotion - but universalisable [Hare, by Glock]
22484 Universalised prescriptivism could be seen as implying utilitarianism [Hare, by Foot]
2855 In primary evaluative words like 'ought' prescription is constant but description can vary [Hare, by Hooker,B]
4125 Hare says I acquire an agglomeration of preferences by role-reversal, leading to utilitarianism [Hare, by Williams,B]
4126 If we have to want the preferences of the many, we have to abandon our own deeply-held views [Williams,B on Hare]
4127 If morality is to be built on identification with the preferences of others, I must agree with their errors [Williams,B on Hare]
22483 A judgement is presciptive if we expect it to be acted on [Hare]
2703 Descriptivism say ethical meaning is just truth-conditions; prescriptivism adds an evaluation [Hare]
2704 If morality is just a natural or intuitive description, that leads to relativism [Hare]
2707 If there can be contradictory prescriptions, then reasoning must be involved [Hare]
2708 An 'ought' statement implies universal application [Hare]
2709 Prescriptivism sees 'ought' statements as imperatives which are universalisable [Hare]
2711 Prescriptivism implies a commitment, but descriptivism doesn't [Hare]
4134 The weakness of prescriptivism is shown by "I simply don't like staying at good hotels" [Williams,B]
2865 Critics of prescriptivism observe that it is consistent to accept an ethical verdict but refuse to be bound by it [Blackburn]
2854 Prescriptivism says 'ought' without commitment to act is insincere, or weakly used [Hooker,B]