Moore’s Open-Question Argument: Definition and Description Essay

Exclusively available on Available only on IvyPanda® Made by Human No AI

The field of philosophy provides people with many challenges in different spheres, including ethics which specialists and thinkers attempt to solve. George Moore is one the most notable English philosophers of the 20th century who made many contributions to philosophy and became one of the founders of the analytical approach. The “open question” is a philosophical phenomenon which provides the basis for Moore’s idea of non-naturalism.

Specifically, Moor’s open question is a part of the larger open-question argument developed by Moore, which, in turn, forms the foundation for his non-natural philosophy. The core belief of Moore was that, in the world, there are moral properties which actually exist objectively, yet they have a form of non-natural property (Nuccetelli, 2021). As a result, Moore claimed it was incorrect to consider certain phenomena as good only based on the fact they bring pleasure. The open-question argument plays a major role in the explanation of the non-natural approach of Moor. Essentially, by utilizing the open-question argument, Moore attempted to defend his non-natural approach and stated that it was impossible to relate good to any type of natural property since it would entail an open question.

The open-question argument consists of several steps and ultimately enables Moore to conclude that good should denote non-natural property. Moore offers to relate good to a certain natural property, for instance, pleasure. The next step involves making an assumption that if a certain action brings pleasure, then it is good. For example, a person may say that consuming sugar is pleasurable and therefore good. Thus, if one asks whether eating sugar which brings pleasure is good, such a question will be viewed as meaningless because it will not offer any new information. In other words, when natural property, pleasure, is identical to the moral one, goodness, the question “Sugar is pleasant, yet is it good?” is a closed one. Moore believes that an open question, providing valuable information, cannot equate natural and moral properties. Therefore, the correct open question would be a simple one, “Is sugar good?” which would provide new information. Based on the argument, Moore concluded that good, a moral property, could not be identical to a natural property such as pleasure.

As a result, due to the fact that an open question is possible only when good does not equal a natural property, Moore stated it should denote a non-natural one. Nevertheless, the argument of Moore is not considered universally correct since there are many perspectives which counter it. For instance, the most plausible objection to Moore’s argument is the idea that Moore utilized the beginning the question fallacy. In other words, Moore assumed a conclusion for one of his argument premises, namely, the part where he states, “Is X good?” is an open question. Moore did not make any attempt to prove that such a question was indeed an open one. Thus, in his argument, Moore simply assumed that all-natural properties can not be equal to moral ones and proved that they could not be reduced to them. Based on the aforementioned fact, the non-natural approach of Moore cannot be viewed as correct.

The open question argument is an attempt of George Moore, an English philosopher, to prove that natural properties cannot be reduced to moral ones. Moore stated that asking a question about two properties which were predetermined to be identical would be meaningless. At the same time, some philosophers assume that Moore engaged in the begging the question fallacy by assuming one of his premises to contain an open question.

Reference

Nuccetelli, S. (2021). The Routledge guidebook to Moore’s Principia Ethica. Routledge.

More related papers Related Essay Examples
Cite This paper
You're welcome to use this sample in your assignment. Be sure to cite it correctly

Reference

IvyPanda. (2023, March 7). Moore’s Open-Question Argument: Definition and Description. https://ivypanda.com/essays/moores-open-question-argument-definition-and-description/

Work Cited

"Moore’s Open-Question Argument: Definition and Description." IvyPanda, 7 Mar. 2023, ivypanda.com/essays/moores-open-question-argument-definition-and-description/.

References

IvyPanda. (2023) 'Moore’s Open-Question Argument: Definition and Description'. 7 March.

References

IvyPanda. 2023. "Moore’s Open-Question Argument: Definition and Description." March 7, 2023. https://ivypanda.com/essays/moores-open-question-argument-definition-and-description/.

1. IvyPanda. "Moore’s Open-Question Argument: Definition and Description." March 7, 2023. https://ivypanda.com/essays/moores-open-question-argument-definition-and-description/.


Bibliography


IvyPanda. "Moore’s Open-Question Argument: Definition and Description." March 7, 2023. https://ivypanda.com/essays/moores-open-question-argument-definition-and-description/.

If, for any reason, you believe that this content should not be published on our website, please request its removal.
Updated:
This academic paper example has been carefully picked, checked and refined by our editorial team.
No AI was involved: only quilified experts contributed.
You are free to use it for the following purposes:
  • To find inspiration for your paper and overcome writer’s block
  • As a source of information (ensure proper referencing)
  • As a template for you assignment
Privacy Settings

IvyPanda uses cookies and similar technologies to enhance your experience, enabling functionalities such as:

  • Basic site functions
  • Ensuring secure, safe transactions
  • Secure account login
  • Remembering account, browser, and regional preferences
  • Remembering privacy and security settings
  • Analyzing site traffic and usage
  • Personalized search, content, and recommendations
  • Displaying relevant, targeted ads on and off IvyPanda

Please refer to IvyPanda's Cookies Policy and Privacy Policy for detailed information.

Required Cookies & Technologies
Always active

Certain technologies we use are essential for critical functions such as security and site integrity, account authentication, security and privacy preferences, internal site usage and maintenance data, and ensuring the site operates correctly for browsing and transactions.

Site Customization

Cookies and similar technologies are used to enhance your experience by:

  • Remembering general and regional preferences
  • Personalizing content, search, recommendations, and offers

Some functions, such as personalized recommendations, account preferences, or localization, may not work correctly without these technologies. For more details, please refer to IvyPanda's Cookies Policy.

Personalized Advertising

To enable personalized advertising (such as interest-based ads), we may share your data with our marketing and advertising partners using cookies and other technologies. These partners may have their own information collected about you. Turning off the personalized advertising setting won't stop you from seeing IvyPanda ads, but it may make the ads you see less relevant or more repetitive.

Personalized advertising may be considered a "sale" or "sharing" of the information under California and other state privacy laws, and you may have the right to opt out. Turning off personalized advertising allows you to exercise your right to opt out. Learn more in IvyPanda's Cookies Policy and Privacy Policy.

1 / 1