Metaethical

Part of speech: adjective

Definitions

1. Pertaining to the branch of ethics that analyzes the nature, meaning, and foundations of moral concepts and judgments rather than prescribing specific moral actions ; relating to philosophical inquiry into the status of ethical statements, their truth values, and the language used to express moral ideas ; concerning the theoretical study of ethics that focuses on the meaning and justification of moral principles and the semantics behind moral discourse
2. Related to a field of philosophy that examines the underlying nature of moral reasoning and ethical language instead of practical moral decision-making ; associated with investigating how moral claims can be understood, whether they can be true or false, and the origin of ethical values ; involving analysis of ethical terminology, concepts, and the justification of moral beliefs beyond mere normative prescriptions
3. Involving the systematic study of the meaning and status of moral judgments instead of their content or practical application ; connected to the exploration of how ethical language functions, the possibility of moral knowledge, and the objectivity of moral claims ; focused on explaining the foundations and semantics of morality as a subject of philosophical discussion distinct from normative or applied ethics

Etymology: "Metaethical" is a modern coinage built from two Greek-derived elements. The prefix "meta-" comes from Ancient Greek "metá", meaning "after" or "beyond" (and in later philosophical usage, "about" or "one level up"), while "ethical" descends from Greek "ēthikós", relating to character and custom. Put together, a metaethical question is one that steps back from ordinary moral questions and asks about morality itself. Philosophers use the word for questions such as whether moral statements can be true or false, whether values exist independently of human minds, and what it would mean for one action to be "good." A first-order ethical claim says that lying is wrong; a metaethical claim asks what "wrong" is doing in that sentence at all.