Moral Realism

Definition

Moral realism is the view that there are objective moral facts and properties that exist independently of what any individual or culture believes. It holds that moral truths are mind-independent and can be discovered through reason and empirical investigation.

5 Must Know Facts For Your Next Test

1. Moral realism challenges the fact-value distinction by asserting that moral claims can be true or false, just like factual claims.
2. Moral realists believe that moral values and norms are objective and mind-independent, existing as part of the fabric of reality.
3. Metaethical moral realism is concerned with the metaphysical status of moral properties and the epistemology of moral knowledge.
4. Moral realism is often contrasted with moral anti-realism, which denies the existence of objective moral facts and properties.
5. Moral realism is a key requirement for developing a normative moral theory that can provide action-guiding principles and make justified moral claims.

Review Questions

• Explain how moral realism relates to the fact-value distinction and challenges the view that values are subjective.
  • Moral realism directly challenges the fact-value distinction by asserting that moral claims can be true or false, just like factual claims. It rejects the idea that values are purely subjective or relative, and instead holds that there are objective moral facts and properties that exist independently of what any individual or culture believes. Moral realists argue that values are not merely preferences or attitudes, but can be discovered through reason and empirical investigation, much like scientific facts.
• Describe the role of moral realism in the context of basic questions about values, particularly the debate between moral realism and moral relativism.
  • Moral realism is a key position in the debate about the nature of values and morality. It challenges moral relativism, which holds that moral judgments are relative to the individual or culture, and that there are no universal moral truths. Moral realists argue that there are objective moral facts and properties that exist independently of what anyone believes. This means that some moral claims can be true or false, and that we can discover moral truths through reason and empirical investigation, rather than simply deferring to individual or cultural preferences.
• Analyze the importance of moral realism in the development of a normative moral theory that can provide justified and action-guiding moral principles.
  • Moral realism is a key requirement for developing a normative moral theory that can provide justified and action-guiding moral principles. If moral claims are not objective and mind-independent, but rather subjective or relative, then it becomes difficult to ground moral theories in anything other than individual or cultural preferences. Moral realism, on the other hand, allows for the possibility of discovering objective moral facts and properties that can serve as the foundation for moral theories and principles. This enables the formulation of normative theories that can make justified moral claims and provide guidance for moral decision-making and action.

Related terms

Moral Relativism:

The view that moral judgments are relative to the individual or culture, and that there are no universal moral truths.

Moral Subjectivism: The belief that moral judgments are based on individual or cultural preferences and attitudes, rather than objective facts.

Moral Naturalism: The view that moral properties and facts can be reduced to or identified with natural, scientific properties and facts.