Single Idea 24008

[catalogued under 18. Thought / A. Modes of Thought / 3. Emotions / c. Role of emotions]

Full Idea

The reference to a man's emotions has a significance for our understanding of his moral sincerity, not as a substitute for or addition to how he acts, but as, on occasion, underlying our understanding of how he acts.

Gist of Idea

Reference to a person's emotions is often essential to understanding their actions

Source

Bernard Williams (Morality and the emotions [1965], p.223)

Book Reference

Williams,Bernard: 'Problems of the Self: Papers 1956-1972' [CUP 1979], p.223


A Reaction

Williams aims to rescue emotion from the emotivists, and replace it at the centre of traditional modes of moral judgement. I suppose we could assess one rogue robot as behaving 'badly' in a community of robots.