PHIL 440A: Study Questions on Moore, Mackie, and Nagel

Study Questions on Moore

1. What kind of definition does Moore believe cannot be given for "good"?

2. What is the analogy that Moore draws between "good" and "yellow"? Can you think of any disanalogies?

Study Questions on Mackie

1. What does Mackie mean by subjectivism about morality? Why is Mackie not a subjectivist?

2. What does Mackie mean by naturalism about morality? Why is Mackie not a naturalist?

3. What does Mackie mean by "objective prescriptivity"? What are Mackie's two main reasons for holding that objectively prescriptive entities would be "queer"?

Study Questions on Nagel

1. What is the "view from nowhere"?

2. What is the difference between agent-neutral and agent-relative reasons? What is the difference between agent-neutral and agent-relative values?

3. What is the difference between an internal reason and an external reason?

4. Does Nagel believe that there are any agent-neutral values? Explain.

5. Does Nagel believe that there are any external values? Explain.