Group for those who do OCR A2 Philosophy & Ethics [Post Exam Discussion]

Can anyone explain the Naturalistic Fallacy to me?

Ok, GE Moore believed that naturalism fails because it commits the naturalistic fallacy, based on the ideas of David Hume and the is/ought idea. Basically Hume said that you cannot move from a statement of fact to a statement of ethics. Naturalism however moves from statements of fact (genetic engineering saves lives) to statements of ethics (therefore genetic engineering is good) Moore believed this is committing the naturalistic fallacy.

Reply 701

skygirl999

6

Ok, essay stucture question. I just planned "conscience is the voice of God" and I don't know what would be the best way to structure the ideas...
Structure # 1
Discuss the people who believe conscience is the voice of God - Augustine, Butler and Newman
Discuss the weaknesses
Therefore perhaps a secular approach is better
Discuss the secular scholars - Freud, Piaget and Fromm
Discuss the weaknesses
Therefore perhaps the most coherant theory is that conscience comes from reason
Discuss Aquinas and the strengths and weaknesses of his theory.
Conclude

OR structure #2 where I would mix up the secular and religious views:
Discuss Augustine and Newman
Discuss weaknesses
Maybe a secular view is better
Discuss Freud
However this eliminates God - Discuss Butler
Weaknesses
Discuss Piaget and Fromm
Weaknesses
Discuss Aquinas
Conclude

Which structure would you say is better? I think #1 would be easier to follow the line of discussion, but then #2 is more like a debate...?

Reply 702

Ineluctable

3

Original post by skygirl999

Ok, essay stucture question. I just planned "conscience is the voice of God" and I don't know what would be the best way to structure the ideas...
Structure # 1
Discuss the people who believe conscience is the voice of God - Augustine, Butler and Newman
Discuss the weaknesses
Therefore perhaps a secular approach is better
Discuss the secular scholars - Freud, Piaget and Fromm
Discuss the weaknesses
Therefore perhaps the most coherant theory is that conscience comes from reason
Discuss Aquinas and the strengths and weaknesses of his theory.
Conclude

OR structure #2 where I would mix up the secular and religious views:
Discuss Augustine and Newman
Discuss weaknesses
Maybe a secular view is better
Discuss Freud
However this eliminates God - Discuss Butler
Weaknesses
Discuss Piaget and Fromm
Weaknesses
Discuss Aquinas
Conclude

Which structure would you say is better? I think #1 would be easier to follow the line of discussion, but then #2 is more like a debate...?

Read the question very carefully-it says voice of God, and Augustine is the closest to that view. The plans look good but you also have to see if the other Christian views are actually about a voice of God

Reply 703

Ineluctable

3

Original post by Clevergecko

Personally, I wouldn't use him in this way. Instead I'd use other criticisms of the VP, hick, doesn't pass it's own test etc, and then consider whether a theory can still be considered reasonable if it's basis is basically completely disregarded.

Wittgenstein I'd bring in to meta ethics perhaps with the picture theory and relating that to non-cognitive/cognitive. I think language games would be harder to bring in, maybe as a drop in showing that he reconsidered picture theory.

Would you mind reminding me of picture theory? :colondollar:

Reply 704

Anna Louise

Original post by Ineluctable

Would you mind reminding me of picture theory? :colondollar:

is picture theory wittgenstein's belief that a statement can't be meaningful unless it can defined, or pictured, in the real world ? i'm not sure though :/

Reply 705

Charlotte_Bailey

ANYONE ELSE PANICKING? :frown:

There is no way i can pass this exam :confused:

Reply 706

jbarfie

Could someone confirm for me which scholars think conscience is innate? Is it just Aquinas who thinks it's the voiceof reason?

Reply 707

Ideal.

I'm also strugglign on conscience. The Jan 2011 question was: "critically assess the claim that conscience is the voice of reason". I'm not really sure who said it was the vocie of reason. I understand Aquinas was of this view, but why? Was it because in the use of synderesis+conscienta we use "repeated right reason" to form ethical judgements? The mark scheme also said that Freud was of this view - my textbook didn't say anythin gabotu that! Does anyone know to what extent Freud is rational, it's something to do wqith the super-ego :s

Reply 708

Noodlzzz

21

Original post by jbarfie

Could someone confirm for me which scholars think conscience is innate? Is it just Aquinas who thinks it's the voiceof reason?

St. Paul and St. Jerome did as well. They, like Aquinas also believed you can be mistaken and be lead to apparent goods by lack of character 'I can will what is good but I cannot do it'

Original post by Ideal.

I'm also strugglign on conscience. The Jan 2011 question was: "critically assess the claim that conscience is the voice of reason". I'm not really sure who said it was the vocie of reason. I understand Aquinas was of this view, but why? Was it because in the use of synderesis+conscienta we use "repeated right reason" to form ethical judgements? The mark scheme also said that Freud was of this view - my textbook didn't say anythin gabotu that! Does anyone know to what extent Freud is rational, it's something to do wqith the super-ego :s

Freud didn't believe it was rational, rather the internalisation of authority and rules. So a child bought up religious internalises the churchers teachings and to some extent does indeed have the voice of God as their conscience, it's just a conditioned God

Reply 709

Clevergecko

Original post by Ineluctable

Would you mind reminding me of picture theory? :colondollar:

It's his more empirical (earlier) approach which influenced the Vienna circle and led them to the VP. It's the idea that language is meaningful if it refers to real world objects - that we can 'picture' the statement.

Reply 710

Clevergecko

Original post by jbarfie

Could someone confirm for me which scholars think conscience is innate? Is it just Aquinas who thinks it's the voiceof reason?

Newman thought we had a faculty of conscience, which came from God's law but was 'refracted' through each mind etc.

Reply 711

senator88

14

Original post by Charlotte_Bailey

ANYONE ELSE PANICKING? :frown:

There is no way i can pass this exam :confused:

Same here

So much to remember, seems almost impossible. Wish the two exams were like a day apart or something....

Reply 712

KieranJones

Could somebody please post an exemplary meta-ethics essay? I can swap an A-grade miracles essay, an A-grade conscience essay or a B-grade religious experience essay.

Reply 713

fjc163

do you think it's possible that a question could come up purely on Wittgenstein? My teacher mentioned that it wouldn't be impossible, and it could...but I'm not sure? Sorry if it has been asked earlier...i haven't had time to read everything aha

Reply 714

skygirl999

6

Could somebody please give me some bullet point notes as to Augustine's view of conscience? All I have written down is that he believed it was the voice of God.

Reply 715

Noodlzzz

21

Original post by skygirl999

Could somebody please give me some bullet point notes as to Augustine's view of conscience? All I have written down is that he believed it was the voice of God.

Sees it as a tool for observing the law of God (related to the Euthyphro dilemma)

Reply 716

skygirl999

6

Original post by Noodlzzz

Sees it as a tool for observing the law of God (related to the Euthyphro dilemma)

Sorry to be an idiot, but can you please explain how it is related to euthyphro dilemma?

Reply 717

athinaxx

If anyone is worrying - as I was - put radio 2 on - there are some really positive songs on there at the moment!

Reply 718

skygirl999

6

Original post by fjc163

do you think it's possible that a question could come up purely on Wittgenstein? My teacher mentioned that it wouldn't be impossible, and it could...but I'm not sure? Sorry if it has been asked earlier...i haven't had time to read everything aha

It isn't impossible because he is specified on the syllabus, and technically they can ask anything on the syllabus. I think it is probably unlikely that he will come up as a focus question though seeing as VP, FP and via negativa have not come up yet and are much bigger topics.

Reply 719

Dixxy

is religious language definitely going to come up? i mean, it always has done, but there is a chance they could miss it out completely? (i hope not!)

Group for those who do OCR A2 Philosophy & Ethics [Post Exam Discussion]

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