Meta-Ethics OCR A-Level Religious Studies Ethics Revision

This resource introduces Meta-Ethics as a key area of study within the OCR A Level Religious Studies Ethics specification. It explains that meta-ethics focuses on the meaning and nature of moral language, rather than determining whether actions are right or wrong. The resource explores whether moral statements express objective moral truths or subjective opinions.

The resource outlines key meta-ethical theories required by OCR, including cognitivism and non-cognitivism. It explains cognitivist approaches such as moral realism, which argue that moral statements are truth-apt and describe objective moral facts. It also introduces naturalism, including the work of F. H. Bradley, which suggests moral terms can be understood through observation of the natural world. In contrast, the resource explains non-cognitivist approaches, including emotivism as developed by A. J. Ayer, which argues that moral statements express emotions rather than objective truths, and intuitionism, as proposed by G.E Moore, and Hume’s ‘Is-Ought Gap’.

The resource supports students in understanding the distinction between objective and subjective moral truth and the implications for ethical decision making. Exam guidance is included at the end of the resource, providing support on how to structure and evaluate meta-ethical arguments in OCR essay questions.