Reason Through

In this episode, Jacob gives brief introduction on meta-ethics.

 

Transcript: 

Hello and welcome back to season 2 of the reason through podcast. It’s been while and hope to get back to uploading more regularly. As a way of creating new content, I will be uploading introductory audio videos! The first series is going to be on ethics. We will going over how various philosophers have answered the questions of why be moral? Are there moral facts? Is Morality relative? In this episode we will be going over Meta-ethics. So let’s begin.

 

 

Now ethics, in general is a branch of philosophy that deals with right and wrong, good and bad. Moral knowledge. Contrasted with say, epistemology that deals with understanding the relationship between justification, belief, and knowledge. In general, from what I have found, is that most people, when engaging in ethics are endorsing some sort of moral philosophy. For example, have you ever had a moral disagreement with a person, and the person responds with “that’s just your opinion”. Now, at first glance this seems like this person may be endorsing some sort of subjective moral framework, but that needs to be discussed with said person to find out their view, so keep that in mind, don’t assume, ask questions to gain clarity.

 

Meta- ethics is not about assessing what one should do in a particular situation. For example, meta-ethics is not going to inform you should lie to Nazi’s or whether its permissible to lie. Meta- ethics is concerned with the following.

the semantic function of moral discourse, meaning when one makes a moral statement are they expressing a fact or emotion as an example.

Are there moral properties, do they exist? If they do, what are they like?

Can we have moral knowledge? How do we know our moral judgement is true or false?

Moral psychology, how does our motivation relate to moral action?

Can moral judgments be right or wrong? Is there a truth behind the matter?

 

These are the questions meta ethics seeks to answer. These questions are not exhaustive but are meant to give an understanding of the difference between this discipline and others. To further illustrate here are some examples of meta ethical theories. Moral realism, non-cognitivism, error-theory, and moral anti-realism.  In proceeding episodes, I will go over these theories in more detail as this is just a pre-liminary sketch of the philosophical terrain.

 

To start, there are typically two camps of moral judgment that informs a meta ethical theory. They are cognitivism one side, and non-cognitivism on the other. Cognitivists think when one makes a moral judgment, they are expressing a belief. This is crucial. If the cognitivists are right, say when make the utterance abortion is wrong or abortion is permissible. I am uttering a belief. If I am uttering a belief then this can be true or false, this is typically labeled truth apt. Beliefs fall under the category of being true or false. In contrast, the non-cognitivist will deny or not accept one is expressing a belief. Instead, when one is expressing a moral utterance, they are expression an emotion or desire. Desire and emotion are not truth apt. Therefore, moral judgments cannot be true or false. This might be a little tricky, so I will try to be clear, it may be true that one can have a desire, such as, I have the desire to learn moral philosophy it does not follow though that the desire itself can be true or false.

 

As stated earlier the cognitivists and non-cognitivists will inform which meta ethical theory one subscribes to. Each theory has its strengths and its weaknesses. I hope this overview has helped! When you find yourself engaged in moral discourse. Remember to ask questions, gain clarity on what the person is trying to convey whether or not they have thought about meta ethics.

 

In the next episode in this series. We will be looking at G.E. Moores attack on Ethical Naturalism. In short Ethical Naturalism is Cognitivist’s view that claims m

In this episode Jacob speaks on the state of the podacast and gives general reflections on what's to come with the new year. 

Where to find me:

Email: [email protected]

Twitter: https://twitter.com/reasonthrough\

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UChf9LUsSl0vOKTLmX8iMEbw

Facebook: facebook.com/jacob.garcia.908132

Music: 

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In this episode Jacob speaks with Clinical Psychologist Steven Hayes. They speak on his work within psychology specifically behavior analysis. Steven Hayes and others have developed a modern approach centered around Relational Fram Theory (RFT) and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) reshaping the way we think about behavior. 

Where to find Dr. Hayes

website: https://stevenchayes.com

Books by Dr. Hayes

A Liberated Mind: https://www.amazon.com/dp/0735214018/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_89M70NN49CTWA78QFW6N

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy https://www.amazon.com/dp/1462528945/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_E1RKSJDHJRH332RBJ5DE

Get out of your mind and into your life: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1572244259/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_CX3JEQSMRJ11MGCYTC8N

More books on Relational Frame Theory and ACT

https://www.amazon.com/dp/1572249064/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_QWYWYE7BNZT3NT6PF4SG

https://www.amazon.com/dp/1684033012/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_JKJH5HWZM4XJMZ56XQ7X?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1

https://www.amazon.com/dp/168373081X/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_WER5FAT0DT8E31EKB0QA

Websites related to Behavior Analysis 

https://contextualscience.org/act

https://www.abainternational.org/welcome.aspx

Where to find me

Email: [email protected]

Twitter: https://twitter.com/reasonthrough\

In this episode Jacob speaks with PhD student James Fodor on his book Unreasonable Faith: How William Lane Craig Overstates the Case for Christianity. They speak on cosmology, ethics, and the resurrection of Jesus. 

Where to find James

Podcast: https://fods12.podbean.com

Blog: https://thegodlesstheist.com

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/JamesFodor/featured

Where to find me

Email: [email protected]

Twitter: https://twitter.com/reasonthrough\

In this episode Jacob speaks with Philosopher Duncan Pritchard on knowledge and Skepticism. They speak on the global skepticism and its paradox. They also speak on how Epistemic Disjunctivism seeks to answer the paradox, but for Dr. Pritchard, this is only one half of the solution the other part is Wittgenstein's hinge epistemology. 

Where to find Dr. Pritchard

website: https://www.duncanpritchard.org

Books: https://www.duncanpritchard.org/books

Where to find me  Email: [email protected]

Twitter: https://twitter.com/reasonthrough\

In this episode Jacob speaks with Philosopher Graham Oppy. They speak on his work within Philosophy of Religion. Dr. Oppy has written extensively on arguments for and against God's existence and Naturalism. 

Dr. Oppy's Books 

Naturalism and Religion 

https://a.co/gT7pOSW

The Best Argument Against God

https://a.co/8L1klJ2

Where to find me 

 Email: [email protected]

Twitter: https://twitter.com/reasonthrough\

In this episode Jacob speaks with Assyriologist Josh Bowen. They speak on his recent book Did the Old Testament Endorse Slavery. They touch upon each book within the Old Testament and how it relates to the wider Ancient Near East. 

Where to find Dr. Bowen 

YouTube channel: www.YouTube.com/digitalhammurabi

 

Website: www.digitalhammurabi.com

 

Twitter: @djhammurabi1 & @digi_hammurabi

 

Books:

 

Did the Old Testament Endorse Slavery?

https://tinyurl.com/y4khp2fw

 

The Atheist Handbook to the Old Testament, Volume One: 

https://tinyurl.com/akb9wzex

 

Learning to Pray in a Dead Language:

https://tinyurl.com/24p35cwz

Learn to Read Ancient Sumerian: 

https://tinyurl.com/huyetmrr

 

Where to fine me

 Email: [email protected]

Twitter: https://twitter.com/reasonthrough\

In this episode Jacob speaks with Philosopher Russ Shafer-Landau. They speak on his work in moral philosophy specifically meta-ethics. Meta-ethics deals with questions such as moral facts, moral properties, can one access moral features in the world. 

Dr. Shafer-Landau's books

Whatever Happened to Good and Evil? https://www.amazon.com/dp/0195168739/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_MBR9Y7WXS3T5YX4C0QR6

Moral Realism: A Defense

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B002BWPIJS/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_M6P6NTRVYX3799FM3HWR

Where to find me:

Website: Email: [email protected]

Twitter: https://twitter.com/reasonthrough\

In this episode Jacob speaks with Philosopher Chris Ranalli. They speak on his work related to Wittgenstein and Deep Disagreement. Deep disagreements are disagreements about fundamental epistemic principles (FEP) and what Wittgenstein referred to as hinge commitments. Hinge commitments and FEP's, according to some, cannot be given a justification without being circular. If this is correct then one may not ever be able to resolve deep disagreements. 

Where to find Dr. Ranalli 

Website: https://chris-ranalli.weebly.com

On Certainty:

https://www.amazon.com/Certainty-Harper-Perennial-Thought-English/dp/0061316865/?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_w=4IEtO&pf_rd_p=f601b3c4-4919-4bbe-b359-e579e9b622f7&pf_rd_r=0BSMMMHB9C3QMWBARME9&pd_rd_r=8479f334-f20e-417f-b311-5fa525d6140d&pd_rd_wg=kTapB&ref_=pd_gw_ci_mcx_mr_hp_d

Where to find me:

Website: Email: [email protected]: https://twitter.com/reasonthrough\

In this episode Jacob speaks with Philosopher Gregg D. Caruso on his recent book Just Deserts: Debating Free Will; co-authored by another Philosopher Daniel C. Dennett. They speak on Determinism, Compatibilism, and Libertarian free will as it relates to moral responsibility and moral desert. Dr. Caruso expresses his view on Free will and is concerned with the justification of giving one what they deserve and how his model of forward looking justification is enough to ground moral responsibility. They also touch upon the legal and social ramifications of moral desert. 

Links to Dr. Caruso 

Website: http://www.greggcaruso.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/GreggDCaruso?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor

Just Deserts: https://www.amazon.com/Just-Deserts-Debating-Free-Will/dp/150954576X/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=just+deserts&qid=1622224210&sr=8-1

Rejecting Retributivism: https://www.amazon.com/Rejecting-Retributivism-Punishment-Criminal-Cognitive/dp/1108484700/ref=sr_1_1?crid=2W86EUEAINOB1&dchild=1&keywords=rejecting+retributivism&qid=1622224306&sprefix=rejecting+retro%2Caps%2C573&sr=8-1

Where to find me

Email: [email protected]

Twitter: https://twitter.com/reasonthrough\