Active learning ideas
Moral Anti-realism challenges the idea that moral facts exist at all. Students examine two major theories: Emotivism (A.J. Ayer) and Error Theory (J.L. Mackie). Emotivism suggests that moral statements are just expressions of emotion (the 'Boo/Hurrah' theory), while Error Theory argues that while we *try* to speak about objective moral facts, those facts don't exist, making all moral claims false.
Activity 01
Students are given a list of moral statements (e.g., 'Stealing is wrong'). They must 'translate' them into Emotive language (e.g., 'Boo to stealing!'). They then discuss what is 'lost' in this translation.
What does Mackie mean by the 'argument from queerness'?
Activity 02
Groups are asked to imagine what an 'objective moral property' would actually look like. If it's not physical, how does it 'push' us to act? They present their 'Queer Object' to the class to show why Mackie finds them so unlikely.
Are moral statements merely expressions of emotion?
Activity 03
One group uses the fact that different cultures have different morals to prove morality is 'made up' (Anti-realism). The other group argues that there are 'universal' morals underneath the differences (Realism).
Can moral anti-realism account for moral progress?
A few notes on teaching this unit
Watch Out for These Misconceptions
Students often think Emotivism means 'anything goes'.
Emotivism describes *what we are doing* when we talk about morals; it doesn't necessarily say we should stop having moral feelings. Active 'translation' exercises help students see that Emotivism is a theory of language, not a recommendation for behavior.
Students think Mackie's 'Error Theory' says we should all be evil.
Mackie says our *claims* to objectivity are an error, not that the *actions* themselves don't matter to us. Peer-led discussion on 'useful fictions' can help students understand how we can have morality without 'facts'.
Methods used in this brief
Moral Realism
An introduction to the view that moral properties exist mind-independently. Students will evaluate ethical naturalism and non-naturalism (Moore's intuitionism).
8 methodologies
Moral Language and Objectivity
A critical assessment of whether moral language can be meaningful if anti-realism is true. Students will debate the implications of nihilism.
8 methodologies