The Nature of Ethical and Aesthetic Judgments
Ayer's Emotivism: Ethical Judgments as Expressions of Emotion
- Ayer's emotivism is a form of non-cognitivism, which argues that moral statements do not describe facts or truths.
- Instead, they express the speaker's emotional attitudes.
- Moral statements are not propositions that can be true or false.
- They are expressions of approval or disapproval.
- When someone says, "Stealing is wrong," they are not stating a fact about stealing.
- Instead, they are expressing their disapproval of stealing, similar to saying, "Boo to stealing!"
Ethical Judgments as Non-Cognitive
- Non-cognitivism holds that ethical judgments do not state facts or convey knowledge.
- Instead, they serve other functions:
- Expressing emotions: Moral statements reveal the speaker's feelings.
- Influencing behavior: They aim to persuade others to adopt similar attitudes.
Non-cognitivism contrasts with cognitivism, which argues that moral statements can be true or false because they describe moral facts or truths.
Implications for Moral Reasoning and Disagreement
- Moral reasoning: If moral statements are not factual, traditional logical arguments may not apply.
- Moral disagreement: Disagreements become clashes of attitudes rather than debates over objective truths.
- When analyzing moral disagreements, consider whether the conflict is about factual beliefs or underlying emotional attitudes.
- This can clarify the nature of the disagreement and potential paths to resolution.
Aesthetic Judgments as Expressions of Taste
Ayer extends his emotivist approach to aesthetic judgments:
