G. E. Moore: Principia Ethica

question 13

True/False

G. E. Moore: Principia Ethica
According to G. E. Moore, the fundamental task of moral philosophy is to provide a definition of goodness. In seeking a definition, Moore is not simply trying to discover what it is that most people mean when they say the word good, nor does he aim to stipulate his own novel definition. Rather, he seeks to give an account of the nature of goodness by analyzing the concept in terms of its component parts, much as one might define bachelor as an unmarried man. According to Moore, however, "good" cannot be defined in this sense. This is because the concept of goodness is simple-it has no parts. Moore claims that in this respect "good" is like "yellow": You cannot explain what the concept is to someone who does not already know it.
Moore argues that many previous philosophers have failed to recognize this point, and in doing so have committed what he calls the naturalistic fallacy, the mistake of believing that goodness is identical to some natural property, such as happiness or that which we desire. (Elsewhere, Moore uses a discipline definition of "natural" as a property that is appropriately studied by those working on the natural sciences.) Against any such identity claim, Moore deploys what has become known as the open question argument. For any proposed definition of good, Moore claims, it is always sensible to ask whether things of that sort are good. For instance, the question "Is pleasure good?" appears to be a perfectly sensible question to ask - it is an open question. In contrast, the question "Is pleasure pleasant?" is trivial - it is a closed question. According to Moore, this proves that goodness and pleasure cannot be the same thing. Moore holds that this test can be used to disqualify any proposed definition of goodness, and thus goodness cannot be identical with any natural property.
-Moore would agree that "Pleasure is good" means the same thing as "Pleasure is pleasure."

Recognize the influence of cultural differences on visual illusions.

Identify the role of different monocular and binocular cues in perceiving depth.

Comprehend the phenomenon and examples of perceptual constancy.

Explain how visual illusions can distort perception.

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Definitions:

Incentive Motivation

The idea that the level of motivation is affected by magnitude of reward: The greater the reward magnitude, the higher the motivation to obtain that reward.

Internal Arousal

The physiological and psychological state of being alert and engaged, often as a response to external stimuli or internal thoughts.

Hull's Model

A theoretical framework by Clark Hull that describes behavior as the result of internal drives, habits, and the outcomes of previous actions.