Moral Realism: A brief overview of Ethical Systems

In Moral Realism, moral facts exist independently of our thoughts about them. There are three elements of moral realism. The objectivist element of moral realism states that moral principles have objective validity and do not need social approval. The cognitivist element claims that moral principles can be evaluated as either true or false through thinking logically. The final element of moral realism is the metaphysical element that states that moral facts exist beyond our ability to perceive or observe them without our senses. Moral realists fall into three categories. Theistic moral realists view moral values as existing within God and include religious ethics such as Divine Command Theory. Naturalistic moral realists see moral values existing within the natural world and include ethical systems of egoism, utilitarianism, and virtue theory. The non-naturalistic moral realists feel that moral values exist but are part of a non-natural world and therefore cannot be detected or observed through scientific means. This approach is similar to that proposed by Plato in the Allegory of the Cave. The challenges to moral realism are based on arguments from either non-cognitivists or error theorists.

0:00 Introduction
0:30 Moral Realism
1:07 Three elements of moral realism
1:30 Objectivist element
2:14 Cognitivist element
2:58 Metaphysical element
4:15 Three categories of moral realists
4:38 Theistic moral realists
5:37 Natural moral realists
6:55 Non-naturalistic moral realists
7:55 Theory of non-naturalism
9:35 Challenges to moral realism
11:02 Non-cognitivists
12:25 Error theorists

Recommended Reading:
Sayre-McCord, G. (2021) “Moral Realism” in The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy.

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