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Full Idea
To say, as I once did, that moral judgements are merely expressive of certain feelings is an oversimplification; ..moral attitudes consist in certain patterns of behaviour, and the expression of a judgement is an element in the pattern.
Gist of Idea
Moral judgements are not expressions, but are elements in a behaviour pattern
Source
A.J. Ayer (On the analysis of moral judgements [1949], p.238)
Book Ref
Ayer,A.J.: 'Philosophical Essays' [Macmillan 1965], p.238
A Reaction
This seems to switch from emotivism to what Frank Jackson calls 'moral functionalism', where morality is what gets us from certain emotional responses to willed actions. This strikes me, like most functional explanations, as wrong.
| 6973 | Moral theories are all meta-ethical, and are neutral as regards actual conduct [Ayer] |
| 6968 | Some people think there are ethical facts, but of a 'queer' sort [Ayer] |
| 6969 | Approval of historical or fictional murders gives us leave to imitate them [Ayer] |
| 6970 | Moral judgements are not expressions, but are elements in a behaviour pattern [Ayer] |
| 6971 | I would describe intuitions of good as feelings of approval [Ayer] |
| 6972 | A right attitude is just an attitude one is prepared to stand by [Ayer] |
| 6974 | Moral judgements cannot be the logical consequence of a moral philosophy [Ayer] |