emotivism
Very LowFormal / Academic
Definition
Meaning
The philosophical theory that ethical statements do not state facts but are expressions of emotional attitudes.
A meta-ethical view which holds that moral judgments are primarily expressions of one's own emotions and attempts to influence the feelings and actions of others, rather than propositions that can be true or false. It is often contrasted with cognitivist theories in ethics.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
Primarily used in philosophical and meta-ethical discourse. It denotes a specific school of thought and is not used to describe general emotionality.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant differences in meaning or spelling. Usage is confined to academic philosophy in both regions.
Connotations
Neutral within its technical context; outside of philosophy, the word is virtually unknown.
Frequency
Extremely rare in general usage, with identical low frequency in both British and American academic texts.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
[Subject] critiques/rejects/defends/explains emotivism.Emotivism holds/states/argues that [clause].Vocabulary
Synonyms
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Not used.
Academic
The primary context. Used in philosophy, ethics, and meta-ethics papers and discussions.
Everyday
Virtually never used.
Technical
Used as a precise term in philosophical and ethical analysis.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- 'Emotivism' is a difficult word from philosophy.
- The philosopher explained that emotivism sees moral statements as expressions of feeling.
- While studying ethics, we contrasted the objectivity of moral realism with the subjectivity of emotivism.
- Ayer's robust defence of emotivism in 'Language, Truth and Logic' was pivotal, though it attracted significant criticism for reducing morality to mere ejaculations.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Link 'emotivism' to 'emotion' and '-ism' (a doctrine). It's the 'ism' or doctrine that says morality is about expressing eMOtion.
Conceptual Metaphor
MORAL LANGUAGE IS AN EMOTIONAL EXCLAMATION (e.g., 'Stealing is wrong!' is like saying 'Boo, stealing!').
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Не переводите как "эмоциональность" (emotionality). Правильный философский термин — "эмотивизм".
- Избегайте кальки "эмотивизм", хотя она иногда встречается. Стандартный перевод — "эмотивизм".
Common Mistakes
- Misspelling as 'emotavism' or 'emotivisim'.
- Confusing it with 'emotiveness' (the quality of being emotional).
- Using it as a synonym for general emotional expression outside of ethical theory.
Practice
Quiz
Emotivism is primarily a theory in which field?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No, they are related but distinct. Subjectivism typically holds that moral statements report the speaker's feelings, while emotivism holds they express those feelings and aim to influence others.
A.J. Ayer and C.L. Stevenson are the most prominent figures in the development of 20th-century emotivist theory.
It is challenging. Since emotivism denies moral truth, progress is not about discovering truths but about changes in collective emotional attitudes and persuasion.
No, pure emotivism has largely fallen out of favour due to criticisms, but it influenced later non-cognitivist theories like prescriptivism and expressivism.