WJEC/Eduqas RS for A2/Yr2: Religion and Ethics (DRAFT)

WJEC / Eduqas Religious Studies for A Level Year 2 and A2 Religion and Ethics

that it is not possible to verify them. In LTL he writes that his task is: ‘to show what people are doing when they make moral judgements’ and no more. A.J. Ayer: Ethical statements are neither verifiable nor analytic Ayer sets off with the recognition that whilst ethical statements are of value, ‘significant’ (he does not explain how) and ‘scientific’ in one sense (he does not explain how), in another sense because they are simply emotions they become unscientific, insignificant and unverifiable. Ayer seems to acknowledge that ethical statements do have some meaning and relevance but he does not elaborate because his investigation is all about how language works in the literal sense and what is happening when we use it. He writes: ‘We shall set ourselves to show that in so far as statements of value are significant, they are ordinary “scientific” statements; and that in so far as they are not scientific, they are not in the literal sense significant, but are simply expressions of emotion which can be neither true nor false.’ Ayer sees four categories existing within ethical philosophy: 1. Propositions which express definitions of ethical terms. 2. Propositions describing the phenomena of moral experience, and their causes. 3. Exhortations to moral virtue. 4. Ethical judgements that attempt to ascribe value. Ayer argues that philosophers do not always differentiate between these classes: ‘It is unfortunately the case that the distinction between these four classes, plain as it is, is commonly ignored by ethical philosophers; with the result that it is often very difficult to tell from their works what it is that they are seeking to discover or prove.’ Indeed, Ayer sees only sees the first class, that of meta-ethics and definitions of ethical terms as the area that could be considered to constitute ethical philosophy. According to Ayer, the second category belongs to the scientific disciplines of psychology and sociology. The exhortations are really commands and have the intention and purpose of provocation and do not belong to any branch of philosophy or science. The fourth category certainly does not belong to moral philosophy according to Ayer as it is simply a matter of personal approval or disproval. However, is it possible that such

Specification content A.J. Ayer – ethical statements are neither verifiable nor analytic; made to express joy or pain (emotion); expressed to be persuasive; emotivism is not subjectivism.

1.24 What was Ayer’s purpose in his analysis of ethical language?

Key quotes If someone still wishes to say that ethical statements are statements of fact, only it is a queer sort of fact, he is welcome to do so. So long as he accepts our grounds for saying that they are not statements of fact, it is simply a question of how widely or loosely we want to use the word ‘fact’. My own view is that it is preferable so to use it as to exclude ethical judgements, but it must not be inferred from this that I am treating them with disrespect. The only relevant consideration is that of clarity. (Ayer) We are not now concerned to discover which term, within the sphere of ethical terms, is to be taken as fundamental … We are inquiring whether statements of ethical value can be translated into statements of empirical fact. (Ayer)

DRAFT

value judgements could be somehow ‘translated to ethical fact’? Ayer posits. Emotivism is not subjectivism The position held by subjectivism is that values arise out of the different attitudes that a person of society/culture has towards things. In other words, our emotions about the things that we see ascribe some sort of value to them. For example, we may feel that corporal punishment is bad, but is it really our feelings about the action the very thing that makes the action a ‘bad’ thing? For Ayer, emotions and attitudes towards issues that elicited an ethical proposition in no way affect the moral value of the object of such a proposition.

1.25 How many classes of philosophical ethical investigation did Ayer outline?

Ayer felt that ethical language and its use and meaning belonged to the subject area of psychology rather than philosophy.

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