George Edward Moore

George Edward Moore – Life, Thought & Legacy

Explore the life, philosophy, and enduring contributions of G. E. Moore (1873–1958), the English analytic philosopher whose work in ethics, realism, and common-sense remains central in 20th-century philosophy.

Introduction

George Edward Moore (4 November 1873 – 24 October 1958), often referred to as G. E. Moore, was a leading English philosopher and a founding figure of the analytic tradition in philosophy.

His major contributions span ethics, epistemology, values, and the method of philosophy itself. Moore is perhaps best known for “Principia Ethica” (1903), his defense of the indefinability of “good,” and his arguments against skepticism through appeals to common sense (e.g. his “Here is one hand” proof of the external world).

Early Life, Family & Education

Moore was born in Upper Norwood, London on 4 November 1873, into a family of seven children.

He was educated at Dulwich College and then, in 1892, entered Trinity College, Cambridge, initially studying Classics and Moral Sciences.

During his early Cambridge years, Moore was influenced by debates around idealism, especially in reaction to the dominance of British idealists (such as F. H. Bradley and J. M. E. McTaggart).

Academic Career & Later Life

After his fellowship and early publications, Moore left Cambridge for a period (when his Fellowship expired in 1904) and lived on family means, continuing his philosophical work privately.

He held professorships in philosophy and logic at Cambridge (Professor of Moral Philosophy / Mental Philosophy & Logic) from 1925 until retirement in 1939, remaining active intellectually thereafter.

Moore was also deeply involved in philosophical societies: he served as President of the Aristotelian Society (1918–19) and as editor of the journal Mind.

Moore passed away on 24 October 1958 in Cambridge.

Philosophical Contributions & Key Ideas

Analytic Philosophy, Realism & Common Sense

Moore was pivotal in the early shift from idealist philosophy toward analytic methodology. common-sense realism: that many of our everyday beliefs (that there is an external world, that other minds exist, that objects persist) are more credible than the high-level metaphysical systems that deny or complicate them.

One of his most famous defenses is the “Here is one hand … and here is another” argument (in Proof of an External World), where he asserts that we can know of external objects by straightforward appeal to common-sense observation—thus countering radical skepticism.

He also emphasized the transparency of consciousness (that in introspection we immediately know our mental states) and distinguished between internal and external relations.

Ethics & Value Theory

Moore’s Principia Ethica (1903) is a foundational work in 20th-century moral philosophy. In it, he argues:

• That good is a non-natural and simple quality; it cannot be defined in terms of natural properties (e.g. pleasure, desire-satisfaction). This leads to his doctrine of the naturalistic fallacy: that it is a mistake to define “good” in terms of any naturalistic concept.

• The open-question argument: for any proposed naturalistic definition of “good,” we can always meaningfully ask “Is that good?” — which shows that the definition fails to capture the essence of goodness.

• He defended ethical intuitionism, holding that we have direct, non-inferential knowledge of certain moral truths or values (like that pleasure is good, or that beauty is good), though he did not believe intuition could settle all moral rules.

• He advanced the notion of organic wholes, cautioning against assuming that the value of a whole is the simple sum of its parts (i.e. emergent value).

Moore’s Paradox

Moore drew attention to a curious phenomenon in logic and belief: sentences like “It is raining, but I don’t believe it is raining.” are logically consistent in isolation, yet asserting them seems paradoxical. This is now called Moore’s paradox.

Methodological and Philosophical Style

Moore's writing style is admired for its clarity, modesty, and patience. He eschewed grandiose speculative systems in favor of careful argument, conceptual clarity, and humility about philosophy’s scope.

He also criticized much of modern philosophy for its lack of concrete progress when compared with the natural sciences.

Impact, Influence & Legacy

• Moore’s influence on analytic philosophy is profound: his work shaped subsequent figures such as Wittgenstein, J. L. Austin, Harold P. Grice, and others.

• Principia Ethica was a key text for the Bloomsbury Group (Virginia Woolf, Clive Bell, etc.), influencing their aesthetic and moral thinking.

• Moore’s rigorous appeals to common sense and clarity set a standard in Anglophone philosophy: the idea that philosophy must take seriously ordinary beliefs unless there is strong reason not to.

• His ideas about the indefinability of value and the naturalistic fallacy have continued to prompt debates in metaethics and value theory.

• Even in philosophy today, Moore is often taught as a foundational figure bridging 19th-century British idealism and 20th-century analytic philosophy.

However, some criticisms and challenges remain:

• Some argue his reliance on intuitive moral judgments is too subjective or susceptible to disagreement.

• Others question whether his defense of common sense can survive more radical skeptical or metaphysical objections.

• The status of his Proof of External World argument is debated: critics say it doesn’t decisively refute skepticism, but Moore’s move nonetheless stimulated further debate.

Selected Quotes & Thought-Provoking Lines

While Moore is not widely known for polished aphorisms (compared to writers or moralists), some of his ideas and formulations are memorable:

“Good is good, and that is the end of the matter.” (Implying that ‘good’ resists definition in simpler terms.)
“Here is one hand; here is another.” (His concrete appeal to common sense in arguing for the external world.)
“If I know I have two hands, then I know that there is an external world.”
“It does not follow because we are unable to understand how something can be true, that therefore it is not true.”

These statements encapsulate key features of Moore: his trust in ordinary truth, his resistance to over-intellectualizing, and his modest philosophical method.

Lessons from G. E. Moore’s Life & Perspective

1. Respect for Common Sense
   Moore teaches that we should not lightly jettison everyday beliefs unless we have clear reason to do so. Philosophy must often begin from what we already accept.

2. Modesty in Philosophy
   He models a philosophical attitude of caution and clarity—avoiding grand systems and favoring close analysis of concepts and arguments.

3. Limits of Definition
   His reflections on “good” show how some concepts resist simple definition: some philosophical tasks are about pointing and clarifying rather than reducing to formulae.

4. Courage to Challenge Prevailing Dogma
   Moore challenged the dominance of idealism in his time, not by radical speculation, but with careful argument and an appeal to what we all take for granted.

5. Philosophy as Activity, Not System
   His work suggests that philosophy is less about building grand edifices and more about scrutinizing assumptions, clarifying language, and preserving intellectual integrity.