WJEC/Eduqas RS for A2/Yr2: Religion and Ethics (DRAFT)

T1 Ethical Thought

recognition of the things that are self-evident. Intuition is a conscious mental state that recognises what is self-evident. The self-evident concept of good, however, is not a mental state at all. In other words, conscious intuition reveals objective truths, self-evident truths and not things that may be common sense, an obvious fact or truth relating to a particular empirical context. What is obvious, or evident, to one person may well not be to another; however, an objective proposition is self-evident, which means it is evident in itself and does not depend upon normal, natural perception. For example, the number 4 is a self-evident truth; it may well be the case that it is not evident to some and yet evident to others. However, it still remains a truth independently of whether or not we perceive it as so. A proposition may be evident to someone but a self-evident proposition is just there in itself anyway in the first instance and known through intuition. Intuition does not provide justification for a self-evident proposition; intuition just accesses that self-evident proposition. Richard Norman points out that Moore is keen to define the type of ‘intuitionist’ philosopher that he is because his Intuitionism is different in two respects: (1) intuition it is not about belief in what actions are right, but about things that are good in themselves, and (2) he does not want to imply that there is some special way in which we can know them to be true, as Norman writes, ‘He means only, he says, that we can know them to be true, and that we cannot give any further reasons why they are true … It is simply a belief which one knows to be true, but for which one has no reasons.’ Key quote The first thing to note is that a self-evident proposition is not the same as an obvious truth … What is obvious to you may not be obvious to me. But self- evidence is not relative in this way. Although a proposition may be evident to one person but not to another, it could not be self-evident to one person, but not to another. A proposition is just self-evident, not self-evident to someone. (Standford/ Stratton-Lake) Intuition allows for objective moral values The last two chapters of Moore’s Principia Ethica are concerned with two questions: Firstly, Moore’s answer to the first question is very simple: any moral obligation has inherent within it the obligation to do good and produce the greatest amount. Moore states: ‘Our “duty,” therefore, can only be defined as that action, which will cause more good to exist in the Universe than any possible alternative. And what is “right” or “morally permissible” only differs from this, as what will not cause less good than any possible alternative. When, therefore, Ethics presumes to assert that certain ways of acting are “duties” it presumes to assert that to act in those ways will always produce the greatest possible sum of good.‘ This is our duty, to perform actions that cause more good to exist than any possible alternative. We do this by calculating and weighing up of the consequences of actions. Key quote The individual should rather guide his choice by direct consideration of the intrinsic value or vileness of the effects which his action may produce.’ (Moore) ■ What should we do? ■ What things are good?

Something that is self-evident does not require proof.

DRAFT n n

1.15 Can something exist that is self- evident even if we are not aware of it?

Specification content Intuition allows for objective moral values.

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