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Full Idea
Moore tries to show that 'good' is indefinable by relying on a bad dictionary definition of 'definition'.
Gist of Idea
Moore tries to show that 'good' is indefinable, but doesn't understand what a definition is
Source
comment on G.E. Moore (Principia Ethica [1903]) by Alasdair MacIntyre - After Virtue: a Study in Moral Theory Ch.2
Book Ref
MacIntyre,Alasdair: 'After Virtue: a Study in Moral Theory' [Duckworth 1982], p.15
A Reaction
An interesting remark, with no further explanation offered. If Moore has this problem, then Plato had it too (see Idea 3032). I would have thought that any definition MacIntyre could offer would either be naturalistic, or tautological.
Related Idea
Idea 3032 I can form no notion of what the good is [Amphis]
22151 | The Open Question argument leads to anti-realism and the fact-value distinction [Boulter on Moore,GE] |
8033 | Moore cannot show why something being good gives us a reason for action [MacIntyre on Moore,GE] |
8032 | Can learning to recognise a good friend help us to recognise a good watch? [MacIntyre on Moore,GE] |
11050 | Moore's combination of antinaturalism with strong supervenience on the natural is incoherent [Hanna on Moore,GE] |
23726 | Despite Moore's caution, non-naturalists incline towards intuitionism [Moore,GE, by Smith,M] |
5925 | The three main values are good, right and beauty [Moore,GE, by Ross] |
8039 | Moore tries to show that 'good' is indefinable, but doesn't understand what a definition is [MacIntyre on Moore,GE] |
5902 | For Moore, 'right' is what produces good [Moore,GE, by Ross] |
5907 | Relationships imply duties to people, not merely the obligation to benefit them [Ross on Moore,GE] |
11057 | It is always an open question whether anything that is natural is good [Moore,GE] |
11056 | The naturalistic fallacy claims that natural qualties can define 'good' [Moore,GE] |
5903 | 'Right' means 'cause of good result' (hence 'useful'), so the end does justify the means [Moore,GE] |
18676 | We should ask what we would judge to be good if it existed in absolute isolation [Moore,GE] |
21233 | The beautiful is whatever it is intrinsically good to admire [Moore,GE] |