The present work entitled The Nature of Ethical Agruments in Metaethics is an endeavour to present a systematic account of ethical arguments in the light of divergent opinion of various metaethicists. Besides, it also deals with some other problems of metaethics regarding the analysis, nature meaning and function of ethical judgements. Controversy prevails among ethical thinkers with regard to the nature of ethical language. A group of metaethicists known as descriptivists hold that the language of ethics is congnitive or descriptive i. e. of the nature of providing some sort of knowledge, or information. Yet another group of metaethicists called emotivists are of the view that the nature of ethical language is emotive i. e, it expresses feeling and attitudes of the speaker and tends to evoke similar feelings and attitudes in the hearer. Again a third group of metaethicists known as prescriptivists lay stress on the dynamic feature of ethical language; we intend to discuss the nature of ethical reasoning taking in view the above mentioned currents of thoughts. However, the question of reasoning or argumentation becomes very much significant and useful when there is a case of disagreement or dispute among two persons or two group of persons on some moral issues. The notion of disagreement' thus becomes significant. Our endeavour in the present work shall be to discuss all the above problems of metaethics in detail. We shall also discuss the defects, if any, in those methods. In the first chapter we have tried to present the main types of of Ethics and evidenced how metaethics developed as a branch of ethics in broader sense. We have also discussed the main problems of metaethics and found that metaethical problems can be divided into two groups: those pertaining to the meaning, function and use of ethical expressions and those concerned with the mode, workability and suitability of various ethical arguments. In the second chapter we have elaborated our attempt concerning the problem of meaning and definition and seen how each of the three kinds of metaethical theories known as Descriptivism. Emotivism and Conativism has its root in the pragmatic aspect of meaning. Emphasis has beer, given in our work on the problem of ethical methodology concerning the analysis of ethical arguments. The question of argumentation arises when two pensons or two group of persons are in conflict on certain moral issues The Therefore, it is needful to present a clear cut sketch of various kinds of ethical disagreements and our third chapter presents the nature of various types of disagreement. In the fourth chapter we have discussed in some detail the nature of various kinds of ethical agruments in metaethical cognitivism and we have studied the view of naturalists like J. S. Mill and J. Bentham and non-naturalists like G. E. Moore and W. D. Ross Our fifth chapter deals with the nature of ethical arguments in metaethical emotivism. Our discussions run on the line of thinking mainly of A. J. Ayer and C. L. Stevenson. The place of ethical arguments in metaethical prescriptivism is discussed in cur sixth chapter and have discussed the views of S. Toulmin. R. M. Hare and Abraham Edel In the last chapter we have presented a brief resume of the whole work followed by some reflections. During the course of this long and arduous work I received much kindness and help directly and indirectly from a large number of people. First and foremost I am thankful to Dr. Ashok Kumar Vermia, University Professor, Department of Philosophy, Bihar University, Muzaffarpur for his sagacious suggestions and crafty critisism. His advise served me as a beacon light in my endeavour to make my way through the dark approaches of my undertaking. I am also beholden to Dr. Ashok Kumar Verma, Retired University Professor & Head of the Department of Philosophy, Patna University, Patna, who has always been helpful to me in the course of my work. I shall be failing in my duty If I do not acknowledge my indebtdness to Dr. M. N. Singh. University Professor in Philosophy, Bihar University, Muzaffarpur for his valuable suggestions and kind help. bran I also thank the librarians of the National Library, Calcutta, Bihar University Library, Muzaffarpur, and Patna University Library, Patna, for for kindly permitting me to use some of their valuable collections. I have also to record my sincere thanks to Mr. Nand Kishor Singh of Janaki Prakashan, Patna, for getting this book printed quickly and nicely.
Dr. Abha Singh has distinguished academic career. She is a National Merit scholarship holder in I. A. and B. A. (Philosophy Hons.), and a Gold Medalist in M. A. (Philosophy) University, Bodh Gaya, and Ph.D. from Magadh from Bihar University, Muzaffarpur. She has been lecturing in one of the constituent colleges under Magadh University, Bodh-Gaya, for the last several years. A distinguished teacher, a participant in various seminars, and conferences, Dr. Singh has symposiums contributed a few scholarly papers also of genuine interest and importance in the field of philosophy in different journals. She has recently completed an ambitious reasearch project sponsored by the University Grants Commission. She is also persuing her Post-Doctoral Research work. With the publication of the book, she has made a debut in the field of Philosophical writings. Definitely, she is a philosopher to watch!
This book is an endeavour to examine the nature, scope and workability of arguments in metaethics. Various metaethical theories entertain hypotheses with regard to the nature different and functions of ethical language, as well as analyses pertaining to them. Consequent upon this, various metaethicists treated the scope and workability of a particular kind of argument used in ethical discourse. A group of metaethicists, known as descriptivists, hold that the language of ethics is congnitive or descriptive i. e. of the nature of providing some sort of knowledge or information. Yet another group of the metaethicists, called emotivists, are of the view that the nature of ethical language is emotive i. e. it expresses feelings and attitudes of the speaker and tends to evoke similar feelings and attitudes in the hearer. Again, a third group of metaethicists, prescriptivists, lay stress on dynamic feature of ethical language The present work intends to throw fresh light on the nature of ethical reasoning with regard to various currents of thought in the field of the language of morals. This may open a new dimension in metaethical thinking, and may enrich the comparatively new field of study in metaethics known as.
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