Morality, Definition of
Major features attributed to morality are identified and discussed. They fall into two main categories: formal and material. Formal features include prescriptivity, universalizability, overridingness, non-authority dependence, and being about objective facts. Material features include being about benefit and harm. A variety of definitions of morality incorporating at least some of these formal and material features are taken for granted in arguments concerning the normative force and content of morality. Variability in the meanings of morality undermine these arguments. More concerted investigation of the sources of this variability is needed. Possible structures—prototype and theory--for the concept of morality are discussed along with how such structures make possible variability in definitions of morality.
