Emotivism

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Emotivism
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Background

• Naturalists say that moral behaviour can be
  examined in the same way as other features of the
  universe scientifically
• Intuitionists believe we have an ability within
  us that is able to make a judgement based on what
  we perceive.
• Some reject these ideas entirely!

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David Hume (1711-1776)

• Sentiment or feeling (emotion) is the source of
  right and wrong.
• If you decide to help someone in need you do so
  because you have feelings, not reason. Compassion
  has nothing to do with reason.
• You cant go from a factual statement (an is)
  to a moral one (an ought)

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• I ought to do something to help

• This is a starving child

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• Moral facts are not like scientific facts
• they are not facts at all

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AJ Ayer (1910-1989)Language, Truth and Logic
(1936)

• When we make moral statements we are not talking
  about objective facts that can be known but are
  expressing our emotions or feelings
• Statements are only true or false as far as we
  agree or disagree with them

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Stealing is wrong

• means

I disapprove of stealing
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Sometimes this is called the Boo-Hurrah theory

• Boo to stealing
• Hurrah to respect for other peoples property

These are non-propositional statements as they
do not make any factual statement about an
objective, knowable reality
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Benefit of emotivism?

• Emotivism draws attention to the way that moral
  statements depend on our own attitudes, feelings
  and upbringing

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Criticisms

• Emotivism does not seem to have much substance
  our use of ethical language could change from one
  day to the next according to our feelings

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One opinion becomes no more important then
another
Mars bars are better than Twix
The murder of the Jews during the Holocaust was
evil
Goths are gorgeous
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• Many would say that moral statements are much
  more than just expressions of preference.
• We do not want a judge to merely express a
  personal preference when making a decision about
  a difficult case, such as whether to separate
  Siamese twins or allow a life-support machine to
  be switched off.

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CL StevensonEthics and Language

• Developed Ayers ideas
• Agreed with Ayer that ethical statements are
  expressions of opinion
• BUT also argued that these personal opinions are
  not arbitrary they are based on beliefs about
  the world and how we think it should be
• We disapprove of Holocaust murders because we
  have beliefs about human worth, not just because
  this is a personal preference

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RM HareThe Language of Morals

• Goes further than Ayer
• When we make moral statements it is because we
  want others to share this view
• Moral statements have a guiding role too
• We become heated during arguments because we ant
  others to share our views

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Do not run in corridors, boy
A suggestion, or a command?