Study Questions

  1. Ayer claims that “a strictly philosophical treatise on ethics should … make no ethical pronouncements.” What does he mean by this, and why does he say it? Do you agree with this claim?
  2. What does Ayer find attractive about utilitarianism and subjectivism? What objections does he raise for each of these theories?
  3. What is the “absolutist” view of ethics, and what does it have in common with Ayer’s view? How do the two views differ? Which do you find more plausible?
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