Ethical Skepticism

Ayer, in his essay Critique of Ethics and Theology, argues that good concepts atomic number 18 non meaningful because they ar empirically unverifiable-- in that respect is no possible way of proving them right or wrong. Ayer would relent that the statements argon meaningful if it were possible to provide some measuring by which one may decide between contrary [moral] intuitions(30). However, Ayer claims that no such criterion exists. Therefore, honorable statements are not statements of value, which can be tested and used scientifically. Rather, they are mere expressions of feeling which cannot be categorized as true or false. John Rawls, in his essay, Outline of a Decision Procedure for Ethics, contests Ayers claim that moral philosophy is not literally significant by attempting to provide an target decision make criterion to help people pull moral judgements. This essay will explicate Ayers speculation and argument as well as Rawls response. I desire to show that Rawls success aboundingy proves that there is an objective decision making procedure which could provide empirical evidence toward verifying an ethical theory.
First I will explain Ayers theory. Ayer argues that in order for statements to have value, they must be scientifically significant (27).



They must be empirical hypotheses that can be, at least(prenominal) in principle, objectively proved right or wrong. Otherwise, they are unanalysable and are not actual concepts, but pseudo-concepts, because they contain no factual content. Ayer then tries to prove that all ethical statements are empirically unverifiable, and therefore mere pseudo-concepts.
To do this, he examines and refutes subjectivist and functional philosophy, two theories which Ayer believes claim to be statements of empirical fact (28). He also distinguishes his theory from both the philosophical absolutist theory and radical subjectivism. Ayer and the Absolutist both agree that ethical statements are unverifiable, but for different reasons. The Absolutist...If you want to get a full essay, order it on our website: Ordercustompaper.com



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