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Single Idea 2711
[filed under theme 22. Metaethics / A. Ethics Foundations / 2. Source of Ethics / i. Prescriptivism
]
Full Idea
Prescriptivists hold that moral judgements commit the speaker to motivations and actions, but non-moral facts by themselves do not do this.
Gist of Idea
Prescriptivism implies a commitment, but descriptivism doesn't
Source
Richard M. Hare (Universal Prescriptivism [1991], p.459)
Book Ref
'A Companion to Ethics', ed/tr. Singer,Peter [Blackwell 1993], p.459
A Reaction
Surely hunger motivates to action? I suppose the key word is 'commit'. But lazy people are allowed to make moral judgements.
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]
|