key term - Non-Cognitivism

Definition

Non-cognitivism is a meta-ethical theory suggesting that moral statements do not express beliefs or truths but rather emotional attitudes or prescriptions. This view emphasizes that moral judgments are expressions of our feelings or motivations rather than factual claims about the world, challenging the idea that moral statements can be true or false like scientific ones.

5 Must Know Facts For Your Next Test

1. Non-cognitivism argues that moral language is primarily used to express feelings or prescriptions rather than convey objective truths about the world.
2. This theory is often associated with philosophers like A.J. Ayer and Charles Stevenson, who argued that ethical sentences function to express emotions.
3. Non-cognitivists reject the notion of moral realism, which holds that there are objective moral truths independent of human attitudes.
4. The distinction between cognitivism and non-cognitivism highlights debates in ethics regarding the nature of moral judgments and their truth-value.
5. Non-cognitivism has implications for moral motivation, suggesting that our moral beliefs arise from our emotional responses rather than rational deliberation.

Review Questions

• How does non-cognitivism challenge traditional views of moral statements, particularly in relation to their truth-values?
  • Non-cognitivism challenges traditional views by asserting that moral statements do not convey objective truths that can be evaluated as true or false. Instead, it posits that these statements express our emotions or attitudes towards certain actions or situations. This perspective shifts the focus from seeking objective moral facts to understanding how our feelings influence our moral language and behavior.
• Discuss the implications of non-cognitivism for moral motivation and how it contrasts with cognitivist theories.
  • The implications of non-cognitivism for moral motivation suggest that our ethical beliefs stem from emotional responses rather than rational deliberation. Unlike cognitivist theories, which posit that understanding moral truths can lead to motivation to act morally, non-cognitivists argue that emotions drive our moral decisions. This means that one's commitment to a moral principle is less about knowing it to be true and more about having a particular emotional stance towards it.
• Evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of non-cognitivism in addressing the Is-Ought Problem within ethical discourse.
  • Non-cognitivism provides a unique approach to the Is-Ought Problem by asserting that moral statements are not about deriving obligations from factual premises, but rather about expressing emotional attitudes. This perspective avoids some pitfalls of trying to bridge factual claims with prescriptive conclusions by reframing ethics as inherently subjective. However, a weakness lies in its potential inability to justify why certain emotional responses should be prioritized over others, leading critics to argue that it lacks a robust framework for resolving ethical disputes or establishing a common ground in moral discussions.

Related terms

Cognitivism:

Cognitivism is the opposite of non-cognitivism, proposing that moral statements express beliefs that can be true or false, and thus have a cognitive content.

Moral Relativism:

Moral relativism is the view that moral judgments are not universally valid but are instead relative to cultural or individual perspectives.

Emotivism:

Emotivism is a specific form of non-cognitivism that suggests moral statements express emotional responses and aim to influence others rather than convey objective truths.