Emotivism

Emotivism is a philosophical theory in the realm of ethics. It is the view that all ethical statements are expressions of emotion and, thus, are meaningless. For example, statements such as “Abortion is wrong” or “Euthanasia is okay” are emotional opinions that relate solely to how a person feels about a certain issue. With Emotivism, ethical statements are also perceived as emotional attempts to get others to agree with one’s views. As a result, Emotivism is often referred to as the “Boo/Hooray” theory. It’s as if when you disagree with an ethical position you say “Boo”; if you agree with a position you cheer “Hooray.”

Critics of Emotivism have said that if this perspective is taken seriously then there can be no meaningful discussion about ethics. Critics also say that this view is potentially dangerous because if accepted serious ethical issues will be trivialized. Plus, it has been argued that Emotivism leaves us with no objective way to analyze ethical matters.

Some have seen the foundation for Emotivism in the writings of David Hume. Emotivism, though, came to prominence in the 1930s with the teachings of A. J. Ayer. His book, Language, Truth and Logic is often viewed as containing the classical presentation of Emotivism.