definist

definist someone who holds that moral terms, such as ‘right’, and evaluative terms, such as ‘good’ – in short, normative terms – are definable in non-moral, non-evaluative (i.e., non-normative) terms. William Frankena offers a broader account of a definist as one who holds that ethical terms are definable in non-ethical terms. This would allow that they are definable in nonethical but evaluative terms – say, ‘right’ in terms of what is non-morally intrinsically good. Definists who are also naturalists hold that moral terms can be defined by terms that denote natural properties, i.e., properties whose presence or absence can be determined by observational means. They might define ‘good’ as ‘what conduces to pleasure’. Definists who are not naturalists will hold that the terms that do the defining do not denote natural properties, e.g., that ‘right’ means ‘what is commanded by God’. See also ETHICS, MOORE, NATURALIS. B.R.

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