Full Idea
A sentence like 'You ought to do so-and-so' primarily has an emotional content. It means ' this is the act towards which I feel the emotion of approval'.
Gist of Idea
'You ought to do p' primarily has emotional content, expressing approval
Source
Bertrand Russell (An Outline of Philosophy [1927], Ch 22)
Book Reference
Russell,Bertrand: 'An Outline of Philosophy' [Routledge 1979], p.181
A Reaction
I don't understand how I can say 'you ought to do p', and very clearly mean that the situation would be altogether better if p, only to be told by some philosopher that what I thought was a sensible judgement is actually an emotional outburst.