Normative (or 'first-order') ethics is concerned with questions such as—Which acts are morally wrong? Which states of affairs are morally good? What character traits are virtues? By contrast, metaethics studies evaluates the semantic, epistemological, and metaphysical commitments of first-order ethical discourse. Do moral sentences such as 'eating animals is wrong' express propositions that are capable of being true or false? If so, are any such propositions actually true? Does their truth depend upon subjective factors, such as our attitudes or conventions, or are these truths 'stance-independent'? If the latter, how can we come to know these truths? Can moral truths be... -- Course Website
Prerequisites: sufficient units in the relevant major at the specified standard for entry to the honours program
