Emotivism

Definition

Emotivism is a meta-ethical theory that holds that moral judgments are not objective statements of fact, but rather expressions of the speaker's emotions or attitudes. According to emotivists, when we make moral claims, we are not describing the world, but rather expressing our feelings or preferences.

5 Must Know Facts For Your Next Test

1. Emotivism was developed as a reaction against the idea that moral statements can be objectively true or false.
2. Emotivists argue that moral language is primarily used to express feelings or attitudes, rather than to describe the world.
3. Emotivists reject the idea of a 'fact-value distinction,' which holds that there is a clear separation between factual and moral statements.
4. Emotivists believe that moral disagreements are ultimately rooted in differences in feelings or attitudes, rather than differences in beliefs about objective moral facts.
5. Emotivism has been criticized for failing to account for the apparent objectivity and universality of some moral judgments, as well as for its implications for moral reasoning and moral progress.

Review Questions

• Explain how emotivism challenges the fact-value distinction.
  • Emotivism rejects the idea of a clear separation between factual and moral statements. According to emotivists, when we make moral claims, we are not describing objective moral facts, but rather expressing our own feelings or attitudes. This challenges the fact-value distinction, which holds that there is a clear boundary between statements of fact and statements of value. Emotivists argue that moral language is primarily used to express emotions or preferences, rather than to describe the world, blurring the line between facts and values.
• Describe how emotivism relates to moral relativism.
  • Emotivism is closely related to moral relativism, as both views hold that moral judgments are not objective or universal, but rather depend on individual or cultural beliefs and attitudes. Emotivists argue that moral statements are not objective descriptions of the world, but rather expressions of the speaker's feelings or preferences. This implies that moral judgments can vary from person to person or culture to culture, similar to the claims of moral relativism. Both emotivism and moral relativism challenge the idea of objective moral facts and universal moral principles.
• Evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of the emotivist position.
  • One strength of emotivism is that it seems to capture the subjective and persuasive nature of much moral language, which is often used to express emotions or attitudes rather than to describe objective facts. Emotivism also highlights the difficulty of resolving moral disagreements, as these may ultimately be rooted in differences in feelings or preferences rather than differences in beliefs about moral facts. However, emotivism has been criticized for failing to account for the apparent objectivity and universality of some moral judgments, as well as for its implications for moral reasoning and moral progress. Critics argue that emotivism undermines the possibility of moral knowledge and moral improvement, as it reduces moral claims to mere expressions of sentiment rather than justified beliefs about the world.

Related terms

Subjectivism:

The view that moral statements are subjective and depend on individual or cultural beliefs, rather than objective moral facts.

Non-cognitivism:

The view that moral statements are neither true nor false, but rather express emotions or attitudes.

Moral Relativism:

The belief that moral judgments are relative to the individual or culture, rather than being universal or objective.