Knowledge (XXG)

Ideal observer theory

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Brandt 1959, p. 153: " have been used more vaguely, confusedly, and in more different senses than the others we are considering. We suggest as a convenient usage, however, that a theory be called subjectivist
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of Firth's minimal requirements. There are also sensible restrictions to the trait of omniscience with respect to nonmoral facts. For instance, to make a moral judgment about a case of theft or murder on
1262: 134:, disinterestedness, dispassionateness, consistency, and normalcy in all other respects. Notice that, by defining an Ideal Observer as omniscient with respect to nonmoral facts, Firth avoids 38:. In other words, ideal observer theory states that ethical judgments should be interpreted as statements about the reactions that a neutral and fully informed observer would have; " 130:
laid out a more sophisticated modern version. According to Firth, an ideal observer has the following specific characteristics: omniscience with respect to nonmoral facts,
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that would arise from defining an ideal observer as omniscient in both nonmoral and moral facts. A complete knowledge of morality is not born of itself but is an
1238: 1508: 1270: 1286: 271: 215:, according to it, any ethical assertion implies that somebody does, or somebody of a certain sort under certain conditions would, take 101: 386: 298: 154:
Those using the ideal observer theory do not usually assert that ideal observers actually exist. An analogous idea in law is the
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The main idea is that ethical terms should be defined after the pattern of the following example: "
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Firth, Roderick (March 1952). "Ethical Absolutism and the Ideal Observer".
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it is not necessary to know about geological events in another
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An Introduction to the Principles of Morals and Legislation
276: 1370: 1215: 981: 706: 635: 497: 372: 314: 42:is good" means "an ideal observer would approve of 126:espoused versions of the ideal observer theory. 51: 292: 8: 1239:Fifteen Sermons Preached at the Rolls Chapel 299: 285: 277: 231:Philosophy and Phenomenological Research 1271:Groundwork of the Metaphysics of Morals 167: 34:about the attitudes of a hypothetical 64:means "If anyone were, in respect of 7: 1287:Elements of the Philosophy of Right 272:Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy 84:This makes ideal observer theory a 102:individualist ethical subjectivism 14: 1509:Thought experiments in philosophy 1468: 1467: 26:view which claims that ethical 1255:The Theory of Moral Sentiments 625:Value monism – Value pluralism 178:(1959). "Ethical Naturalism". 1: 1319:On the Genealogy of Morality 1279:Critique of Practical Reason 1530: 1247:A Treatise of Human Nature 1463: 598:Universal prescriptivism 387:Artificial intelligence 217:some specified attitude 82: 1311:The Methods of Ethics 549:Divine command theory 544:Ideal observer theory 20:Ideal observer theory 1428:Political philosophy 1398:Evolutionary ethics 1359:Reasons and Persons 1335:A Theory of Justice 489:Uncertain sentience 1393:Ethics in religion 1388:Descriptive ethics 1223:Nicomachean Ethics 219:toward something." 30:express truth-apt 1481: 1480: 1448:Social philosophy 1433:Population ethics 1423:Philosophy of law 1403:History of ethics 886:Political freedom 563:Euthyphro dilemma 354:Suffering-focused 156:reasonable person 140:emergent property 104:), as well as to 16:Meta-ethical view 1521: 1514:Ethical theories 1471: 1470: 1418:Moral psychology 1363: 1355: 1347: 1343:Practical Ethics 1339: 1331: 1327:Principia Ethica 1323: 1315: 1307: 1299: 1291: 1283: 1275: 1267: 1259: 1251: 1243: 1235: 1231:Ethics (Spinoza) 1227: 866:Moral imperative 324:Consequentialism 301: 294: 287: 278: 255: 254: 226: 220: 208: 202: 201: 186:Englewood Cliffs 172: 98:moral relativism 63: 48: 1529: 1528: 1524: 1523: 1522: 1520: 1519: 1518: 1484: 1483: 1482: 1477: 1459: 1366: 1361: 1353: 1345: 1337: 1329: 1321: 1313: 1305: 1297: 1289: 1281: 1273: 1265: 1257: 1249: 1241: 1233: 1225: 1211: 984: 977: 901:Self-discipline 861:Moral hierarchy 809:Problem of evil 754:Double standard 744:Culture of life 702: 631: 578:Non-cognitivism 493: 368: 310: 305: 264: 259: 258: 243:10.2307/2103988 228: 227: 223: 209: 205: 192:. p. 173. 176:Brandt, Richard 174: 173: 169: 164: 132:omnipercipience 114:non-cognitivism 61: 57:is better than 46: 17: 12: 11: 5: 1527: 1525: 1517: 1516: 1511: 1506: 1501: 1496: 1486: 1485: 1479: 1478: 1476: 1475: 1464: 1461: 1460: 1458: 1457: 1450: 1445: 1443:Secular ethics 1440: 1438:Rehabilitation 1435: 1430: 1425: 1420: 1415: 1410: 1405: 1400: 1395: 1390: 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552: 551: 546: 536: 535: 534: 532:Non-naturalism 529: 514: 509: 503: 501: 495: 494: 492: 491: 486: 481: 476: 471: 466: 461: 456: 451: 446: 441: 436: 431: 426: 425: 424: 414: 409: 404: 399: 394: 389: 384: 378: 376: 370: 369: 367: 366: 361: 359:Utilitarianism 356: 351: 346: 341: 336: 331: 326: 320: 318: 312: 311: 306: 304: 303: 296: 289: 281: 275: 274: 263: 262:External links 260: 257: 256: 237:(3): 317–345. 221: 213:if and only if 203: 181:Ethical Theory 166: 165: 163: 160: 136:circular logic 128:Roderick Firth 36:ideal observer 15: 13: 10: 9: 6: 4: 3: 2: 1526: 1515: 1512: 1510: 1507: 1505: 1504:Point of view 1502: 1500: 1497: 1495: 1492: 1491: 1489: 1474: 1466: 1465: 1462: 1456: 1455: 1451: 1449: 1446: 1444: 1441: 1439: 1436: 1434: 1431: 1429: 1426: 1424: 1421: 1419: 1416: 1414: 1411: 1409: 1406: 1404: 1401: 1399: 1396: 1394: 1391: 1389: 1386: 1384: 1381: 1379: 1376: 1375: 1373: 1369: 1360: 1357: 1352: 1349: 1344: 1341: 1336: 1333: 1328: 1325: 1320: 1317: 1312: 1309: 1304: 1301: 1296: 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822: 819: 817: 814: 810: 807: 805: 802: 800: 797: 796: 795: 794:Good and evil 792: 790: 787: 785: 782: 780: 779:Family values 777: 775: 772: 770: 767: 765: 762: 760: 757: 755: 752: 750: 747: 745: 742: 740: 737: 735: 732: 730: 727: 725: 722: 720: 717: 715: 712: 711: 709: 705: 699: 696: 694: 691: 689: 686: 684: 681: 679: 676: 674: 671: 669: 666: 664: 661: 659: 656: 654: 651: 649: 646: 644: 641: 640: 638: 634: 626: 623: 622: 621: 618: 616: 613: 611: 608: 606: 603: 599: 596: 594: 593:Quasi-realism 591: 589: 586: 584: 581: 580: 579: 576: 574: 571: 569: 566: 564: 561: 559: 556: 550: 547: 545: 542: 541: 540: 537: 533: 530: 528: 525: 524: 523: 520: 519: 518: 515: 513: 510: 508: 505: 504: 502: 500: 496: 490: 487: 485: 482: 480: 477: 475: 472: 470: 467: 465: 462: 460: 457: 455: 452: 450: 447: 445: 442: 440: 437: 435: 432: 430: 427: 423: 420: 419: 418: 417:Environmental 415: 413: 410: 408: 405: 403: 400: 398: 395: 393: 390: 388: 385: 383: 380: 379: 377: 375: 371: 365: 362: 360: 357: 355: 352: 350: 347: 345: 342: 340: 339:Particularism 337: 335: 332: 330: 327: 325: 322: 321: 319: 317: 313: 309: 302: 297: 295: 290: 288: 283: 282: 279: 273: 269: 266: 265: 261: 252: 248: 244: 240: 236: 232: 225: 222: 218: 214: 207: 204: 199: 195: 191: 190:Prentice Hall 187: 183: 182: 177: 171: 168: 161: 159: 157: 152: 150: 146: 141: 137: 133: 129: 125: 121: 117: 115: 111: 107: 106:moral realism 103: 99: 95: 91: 87: 81: 79: 75: 71: 67: 60: 56: 50: 45: 41: 37: 33: 29: 25: 21: 1452: 1408:Human rights 1351:After Virtue 1077:Schopenhauer 851:Moral agency 724:Common sense 620:Universalism 588:Expressivism 568:Intuitionism 543: 539:Subjectivism 484:Terraforming 459:Professional 268:Impartiality 234: 230: 224: 216: 206: 179: 170: 153: 149:solar system 118: 110:error theory 90:universalist 86:subjectivist 83: 77: 73: 69: 65: 58: 54: 52: 43: 39: 35: 32:propositions 24:meta-ethical 19: 18: 1226:(c. 322 BC) 1092:Kierkegaard 911:Stewardship 688:Rousseauian 605:Rationalism 517:Cognitivism 464:Programming 439:Meat eating 412:Engineering 158:criterion. 94:cognitivism 1499:Metaethics 1488:Categories 1122:Bonhoeffer 831:Immorality 774:Eudaimonia 734:Conscience 729:Compassion 615:Skepticism 610:Relativism 527:Naturalism 507:Absolutism 479:Technology 329:Deontology 162:References 124:David Hume 120:Adam Smith 1494:Emergence 1383:Casuistry 1295:Either/Or 1202:Korsgaard 1197:Azurmendi 1162:MacIntyre 1102:Nietzsche 1032:Augustine 1027:Confucius 1007:Aristotle 983:Ethicists 941:Intrinsic 906:Suffering 816:Happiness 789:Free will 769:Etiquette 714:Authority 658:Epicurean 653:Confucian 648:Christian 583:Emotivism 407:Discourse 344:Pragmatic 316:Normative 28:sentences 1473:Category 1413:Ideology 1378:Axiology 1207:Nussbaum 1157:Frankena 1152:Anscombe 1142:Williams 1097:Sidgwick 1017:Valluvar 1012:Diogenes 997:Socrates 921:Theodicy 916:Sympathy 881:Pacifism 871:Morality 784:Fidelity 764:Equality 719:Autonomy 707:Concepts 668:Feminist 643:Buddhist 573:Nihilism 512:Axiology 469:Research 402:Computer 397:Business 198:59010075 92:form of 74:prefer x 1371:Related 1117:Tillich 1082:Bentham 1057:Spinoza 1052:Aquinas 1037:Mencius 951:Western 926:Torture 891:Precept 846:Loyalty 841:Liberty 836:Justice 749:Dignity 739:Consent 683:Kantian 673:Islamic 636:Schools 522:Realism 454:Nursing 449:Medical 434:Machine 374:Applied 270:in the 251:2103988 22:is the 1362:(1984) 1354:(1981) 1346:(1979) 1338:(1971) 1330:(1903) 1322:(1887) 1314:(1874) 1306:(1861) 1298:(1843) 1290:(1820) 1282:(1788) 1274:(1785) 1266:(1780) 1258:(1759) 1250:(1740) 1242:(1726) 1234:(1677) 1192:Taylor 1177:Parfit 1172:Singer 1147:Mackie 1022:Cicero 963:Virtue 896:Rights 821:Honour 678:Jewish 474:Sexual 382:Animal 364:Virtue 308:Ethics 249:  196:  100:, and 1454:Index 1216:Works 1187:Adams 1182:Nagel 1137:Dewey 1132:Rawls 1112:Barth 1107:Moore 1072:Hegel 1047:Xunzi 1002:Plato 992:Laozi 973:Wrong 946:Japan 936:Value 931:Trust 826:Ideal 693:Stoic 444:Media 429:Legal 247:JSTOR 145:Earth 1167:Hare 1127:Foot 1087:Mill 1067:Kant 1062:Hume 1042:Mozi 958:Vice 876:Norm 804:Evil 799:Good 759:Duty 499:Meta 422:Land 349:Role 334:Care 194:LCCN 122:and 88:yet 68:and 968:Vow 698:Tao 392:Bio 239:doi 76:to 1490:: 245:. 235:12 233:. 188:: 184:. 151:. 80:." 49:. 300:e 293:t 286:v 253:. 241:: 200:. 78:y 70:y 66:x 62:" 59:y 55:x 47:" 44:x 40:x

Index

meta-ethical
sentences
propositions
subjectivist
universalist
cognitivism
moral relativism
individualist ethical subjectivism
moral realism
error theory
non-cognitivism
Adam Smith
David Hume
Roderick Firth
omnipercipience
circular logic
emergent property
Earth
solar system
reasonable person
Brandt, Richard
Ethical Theory
Englewood Cliffs
Prentice Hall
LCCN
59010075
if and only if
doi
10.2307/2103988
JSTOR

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