A Research On Hare’s Universal Prescriptivism

The beginning of contemporary western meta-ethics is G.E.Moor’sintuitionism, and Stevenson’s emotionalism put meta-ethics into a nonrationalism dilemma, meta-ethics is under attack due to the query of itsobjectivity and scientificity. Hare focuses on the scientific and logicalcharacters of meta-ethics. His universal prescriptivism turns around the messand makes the reversion of meta-ethics to normative ethics come true.Hare builds his theoretical system of universal prescriptivism by researchof moral language. Prescriptivity and universalizability are the essential logicalproperties of moral language. First, Moral language is a kind of prescriptivelanguage, its primary function is value and behavior judgment. Hare criticizesthe Non cognitive trend that moral language is used as expression of personalfeeling. Second, Hare inherits Kant’s universality theory, he also agrees moralprinciples can be used as the universal laws to constrain all rational beings,because of their logical form. Moral principles can make reasonable judgmentsfor different people in similar situations, which achieve the universal moralnorms of behavior.In the first two stages of meta-ethics, value judgment and fact judgmentare strictly distinguished. Hare’s ethical theory offers the possibility to bridgethe gap between fact and value. Hare’s another effect is combining Kant’sdeontology and traditional utilitarianism and building hispreference-utilitarianism theory. Hare holds deontology and traditionalutilitarianism emphasize two aspects of moral philosophy respectively insteadof confrontation. Kant’s deontology provides a logical form and utilitarianism provides material. Only making the association between the two can ethicssolve practical moral problems.Hare’s universal prescriptivism theory overcomes the shortcomings of thefirst two stages of meta-ethics in a rational way，he inherits，criticizes，synthesizes and innovates the predecessors’ thought. His theory coversanalysis on moral language and methods of practical moral problems，andmakes a great contribution on further enriching and perfecting westernmeta-ethics system.