Emotivism
Religious Studies: OCR A Level, topic 2.7.3
Emotivism
Emotivism argues that ethical statements express personal feelings, not objective truths.
Understanding emotivism
- A.J. Ayer introduced emotivism in the 1930s with "Language, Truth and Logic."
- Emotivism suggests moral language functions to influence or express emotions rather than state facts.
- Emotivism differs from naturalism by rejecting the notion that ethics are grounded in natural properties.
Emotivism and moral language
- Emotivism states that when people declare something 'good' or 'bad,' they express approval or disapproval.
- Ethical statements are comparable to exclamations or commands, not factual assertions.
- Saying "Stealing is wrong" equals expressing "Boo to stealing!"
- Emotivism highlights how ethical language aims to persuade or communicate attitudes.
Emotivism and relativism
- Emotivism aligns with relativism by implying that moral values vary between individuals.
- There are no universal ethical truths, as moral judgements reflect personal preferences.
- Moral disagreements arise not from factual differences but from emotional clashes.
- Emotivism supports relativism's idea that moral standards depend on individual perspectives.
Criticisms of emotivism
- Critics argue emotivism makes moral debates subjective, reducing meaningful moral discourse.
- C.L. Stevenson, a later proponent, acknowledged emotions' role but added reasons to justify attitudes.
- Critics claim emotivism fails to address moral education and improvement, as emotional expressions differ widely.
- Emotivism is challenged for not providing a method to resolve conflicting moral emotions.
Example of emotivism in action
- Consider someone saying, "Helping others is good."
- Emotivism suggests this reflects personal approval of helping.
- The statement does not provide objective evidence but expresses positive feelings towards altruism.
- Another person might say, "Helping others is unnecessary," evincing disapproval.
- The example shows emotivism's focus on emotional expression in ethical language.
Test yourself on Emotivism
How does emotivism differ from naturalism?
What three elements did A.J. Ayer introduce emotivism with?
When emotivism argues that moral values vary between individuals, which school of thought does it align to?