Metaethics

Pre-requisites: None

Course objectives: Introducing the history of metaethics. Introducing contemporary metaethical issues that have been the subject of the debates of the late 20th and the beginning of the 21st century.

Course description: History of debate on naturalistic fallacy – from G.E. Moore to the present. Traditional and contemporary cognitivism (neonaturalism and neointuitionism). Traditional and contemporary non-cognitivism. "New" realism. Quasi-realism. Theory of institutional facts. Elements of moral epistemology.

Learning Outcomes: Students should acquire knowledge about the major directions in metaethics – cognitivism (descriptivism) and anticognitivism (non-descriptivism) and they should be able to find connections between metaethical theories and other related disciplines.

Literature/Reading:

• J. Babić, “Serlova teorija govornih akata i jeste-treba pitanje, Filozofske studije IX (1977).
• Č. Stivenson, “Priroda etičkog razilaženja”, Ideje 3-4/1979
• Č. Stivenson, “Ubeđivačke definicije”, Treći program, zima 1977.
• S. Stojanović, Savremena meta-etika, gl. 1-3, 5-11 i Zaključak.
• Jovan Babić, "Metaetika", Teorija 1-2/2006
• W. D. Hudson, Modern Moral Philosophy
• W.D. Hudson, A Century of Moral Philosophy
• A. Miller, An Introduction to Contemporary Metaethics, gl. 1-6, 8
• Hare, R.M.,Freedom and Reason
• W.D Hudson, The Is-Ought Question
• Hare, R. M., Language of Morals