---
title: "Moral Intuitionism: Meaning, GS4 Ethics | Model Diplomat"
description: "Moral intuitionism holds that we grasp basic moral truths directly without inference. Covers Sidgwick, Ross's prima facie duties, and UPSC GS4 ethics use."
url: "https://modeldiplomat.com/learn/glossary/moral-intuitionism"
---

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Model Diplomat Research Team · Last reviewed June 22, 2026

TL;DR

- Moral intuitionism is the metaethical view that humans apprehend certain basic moral truths directly and non-inferentially, without deriving them from prior reasoning or empirical observation.
- How does moral intuitionism differ from emotivism?
- What are Ross's prima facie duties and why do they matter?
- Is moral intuitionism the same as Jonathan Haidt's social intuitionism?
- How can a UPSC GS4 candidate use intuitionism in a case study?

[Civil Service & Diplomatic Exams](https://modeldiplomat.com/learn/civil-services/glossary)Updated June 22, 2026

Moral intuitionism is the metaethical view that humans apprehend certain basic moral truths directly and non-inferentially, without deriving them from prior reasoning or empirical observation.

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In his 1930 work The Right and the Good, Oxford philosopher W. D. Ross argued that an agent facing conflicting prima facie duties, such as keeping a promise versus aiding an accident victim, must intuit which obligation prevails.

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