metaethics

American  

[met-uh-eth-iks, met-uh-eth-] / ˌmɛt əˈɛθ ɪks, ˈmɛt əˌɛθ- /

Or meta-ethics

noun

(usually used with a singular verb)

1. the philosophy of ethics dealing with the meaning of ethical terms, the nature of moral discourse, and the foundations of moral principles.

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Other Word Forms

• metaethical adjective

Etymology

Origin of metaethics

First recorded in 1945–50; meta- + ethics

Example Sentences

Moral relativism has taken many different shapes throughout the history of philosophy, and it is debated in popular discourses—especially politics and religion—as well as in metaethics.

From Textbooks • Jun. 15, 2022

It is commonly divided into three main areas: metaethics, normative ethics, and applied ethics, each of which is distinguished by a different level of inquiry.

From Textbooks • Jun. 15, 2022

Explain the importance of the Euthyphro problem for metaethics.

From Textbooks • Jun. 15, 2022

Zoë A. Johnson King is a philosophy faculty fellow at New York University who specializes in the philosophy of action, ethics, and metaethics.

From Slate • Apr. 15, 2019

Philosophers, preoccupied for decades with metaethics, returned to the discussion of substantive ethical issues – the moral questions that concern the general public and, in particular, religious believers.

From The Guardian • Apr. 8, 2011