後設倫理學處理的是道德之根本的議題，尤其是關於道德判斷的本性問題，像是：道德僅只是約定俗成，或是道德對錯有客觀的標準？真的有所謂的道德事實存在嗎？若有，它們會是怎樣的事實？它們會是可成為科學研究對象的事實嗎？道德判斷在什麼意義下為真（或為假）？道德判斷與行為動力之間的關聯為何？我們能有道德知識嗎？若是能夠，我們又是如何獲得道德知識？為什麼我們應該成為有道德的人？道德要求是所有人都應該遵守的嗎？
Metaethics deals with the foundational issues of morality, and especially with the nature of moral judgment: Is morality merely conventional, or are there objective standards of right and wrong? Do moral facts exist? What would they be like if they did? Would they be the facts that can be the proper object of science? What does it mean to say that a moral judgment is true? What is the link between moral judgment and motivation? Can we have moral knowledge? How can we gain moral knowledge? Why should we be moral? Are moral requirements unconditional?