Single Idea 2853

[catalogued under 22. Metaethics / A. Ethics Foundations / 2. Source of Ethics / h. Expressivism]

Full Idea

By stressing the intimate connection between moral judgements and the agent's non-cognitive attitudes, emotivists claim to capture the motivational properties of moral judgement.

Gist of Idea

Emotivists claim to explain moral motivation by basing morality on non-cognitive attitudes

Source

David O. Brink (Emotivism [1995], p.223)

Book Reference

'Cambridge Dictionary of Philosophy', ed/tr. Audi,Robert [CUP 1995], p.223


A Reaction

The same claim is made by contractarians, who start from our universal self-interest. Emotivists also nicely capture the motivation properties of immoral judgements.