G.E. Moore

Definition

G.E. Moore was a British philosopher best known for his work in ethics and epistemology, particularly his defense of moral realism and the famous 'Moore's Paradox.' He challenged the prevailing philosophical ideas of his time and significantly influenced the naturalism debate in ethics. His assertion that 'good' is a simple, indefinable property was pivotal in discussions about naturalism and normativity.

5 Must Know Facts For Your Next Test

1. G.E. Moore is often credited with the 'open question argument,' which states that for any proposed definition of 'good,' it remains an open question whether that definition actually captures what is good.
2. Moore argued against ethical naturalism by claiming that moral properties cannot be reduced to natural properties without losing their normative significance.
3. He is known for his phrase 'the naturalistic fallacy,' which critiques the attempt to define moral terms in non-moral terms.
4. Moore's work laid the groundwork for later developments in analytic philosophy, especially in the areas of ethics and language.
5. His famous principle, 'If I know that P, then I know that P or Q,' illustrates issues related to knowledge, belief, and truth.

Review Questions

• How did G.E. Moore challenge the naturalistic approach to ethics?
  • G.E. Moore challenged the naturalistic approach by arguing that moral properties cannot be defined in purely naturalistic terms without losing their essential normative characteristics. He contended that any attempt to equate 'good' with natural properties, such as pleasure or happiness, fails because it leads to what he called the naturalistic fallacy. This assertion opened up significant discussions about how moral values stand apart from empirical observations.
• Discuss the implications of Moore's open question argument for moral philosophy.
  • Moore's open question argument implies that no matter how one defines 'good,' it is always possible to question whether that definition truly captures what goodness is. This challenges moral philosophers to consider the limitations of their definitions and emphasizes that ethical discussions cannot simply reduce morality to measurable or observable phenomena. As a result, this argument reinforces the idea that moral truths may exist independently of human conceptualizations.
• Evaluate G.E. Moore's influence on contemporary ethical theories, particularly regarding moral realism.
  • G.E. Moore's influence on contemporary ethical theories is profound, especially in relation to moral realism. His insistence on the existence of objective moral facts helped pave the way for modern debates surrounding moral realism versus anti-realism. By establishing that 'good' is a non-natural property, he provided a foundational argument for those who maintain that moral truths exist independently of subjective opinions or cultural norms. This has had lasting effects on both meta-ethical discourse and practical ethics today.

Related terms

Moral Realism: The philosophical position that asserts that there are objective moral facts and truths that exist independently of human beliefs or perceptions.

Naturalism: A philosophical viewpoint that everything arises from natural properties and causes, and supernatural or spiritual explanations are excluded or discounted.

Moore's Paradox: A concept that highlights a contradiction in asserting something like 'It's raining, but I don't believe it is,' which shows a conflict between belief and the expression of belief.