Objectivity in Moral Discourse

Abstract

The idea that some realm of discourse, including moral discourse, is objective is the idea that there is a single set of basic truths that the discourse purports to be about. In order to determine whether moral discourse is indeed objective, we must first clarify the very idea of objectivity under consideration and then examine the various semantic, ontological, and epistemological features of moral discourse implicated in the idea of objectivity. Two models of objectivity have been prevalent in philosophical discussions of moral objectivity – a strong ‘ontological’ model and a somewhat weaker ‘methodological’ model. Thus, meta-ethical debates about the status of moral discourse revolve around whether moral discourse satisfies the requirements of either model of objectivity.