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Definition:
The ethical theory of prescriptivism argues that ethical statements have the purpose
of prescribing particular actions as moral or proscribing other actions as immoral.
This term was created by R.M. Hare, who said that a statement could be treated as
prescriptive if, first, anyone who really believes it and can act on it will, and
second, it cannot be derived merely from descriptions about the world around us.
Prescriptivism can be contrasted with the ethical theory of descriptivism.
Also Known As: none
Alternate Spellings: none
Common Misspellings: none
Related Resources:
What are Ethics and Morality?
Ethics is the formal study of moral standards and conduct. For this reason, the study of ethics is also often called "moral philosophy." What is good? What is evil? How should I behave - and why? How should I balance my needs against the needs of others?What is Philosophy?
What is philosophy? Is there any point in studying philosophy, or is it a useless subject? What are the different branches of philosophy - what's the difference between aestheitcs and ethics? What's the difference between metaphysics and epistemology?
