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

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

Ethical terms are just expressions of personal approval (hurrah) or disapproval (boo) Now that we have covered Ayer’s argument in LTL there are two areas of the Specification left to cover in relation to Emotivism as a theory. Since Emotivism extends beyond Ayer, it would be beneficial to look at these two areas briefly in relation to the work of Charles L. Stevenson as well as Ayer. Stevenson was an American philosopher noted for his work on Emotivism and is seen as the philosopher who developed it into a full-bodied, systematic theory. In 1937 he published in the Mind Journal an article entitled, The Emotive Meaning of Ethical terms . He followed this up with two later papers and then produced his book, Ethics and Language , published in 1944 by Yale University Press, which is seen to be a classic systematic presentation of the theory. For some reason, at a point in time that the current author cannot accurately locate, there emerged in response to Ayer’s proposals a nickname for his theory of Emotivism. This was because Ayer insisted that ethical propositions were simply emotive and feelings of either approval or disapproval. Emotivism therefore became known also as the ‘Hurrah-boo!’ theory as it was felt that Ayer proposed that ethical terms are just expressions of personal approval (hurrah) or disapproval (boo). To be fair to Ayer, his role was simply to indicate what was happening with language when we use ethical propositions in line with his overall theory of verification. When something could not be verified, Ayer offered a simple reason

Specification content Ethical terms are just expressions of personal approval (hurrah) or disapproval (boo); explains why people disagree about morality.

Key terms ‘Hurrah-boo!’ theory: another term for the theory of Emotivism Interest theory: Stevenson’s theory of Emotivism Dynamic power: the sense in which language is best analysed to determine meaning according to Stevenson

and explanation but to explore further the thing that could not be verified was not his intention. As we have seen, he saw this as the role of sciences. Nonetheless, the one glimpse of an alternative to ethical terms only being expressions of personal approval (hurrah) or disapproval (boo), was when he suggested that there was an alternative purpose of persuasion. It is with this glimpse that we see an alternative approach that was taken by Charles Stevenson. Surprisingly, Stevenson developed his work at the same time as Ayer quite independently and in a different direction. For Stevenson, his interest was not really DRAFT n n

1.27 Which philosopher developed a more systematic approach to Emotivism?

The American philosopher Charles L. Stevenson thought that the answer to ‘verifying’ ethical language could be found by studying its use.

in verifying ethical language but he did accept that if we seek scientific verification, then this was not the most helpful way to view the theory of Emotivism. He started with the word ‘good’ and argued that to make ethical questions clear any definition should: (1) enable disagreement about goodness; (2) have a certain magnetism or appeal to act in its favour; (3) not be subject to verification by scientific method. He saw this as understanding the true nature of Emotivism but preferred the term ‘ interest theory ’. Stevenson was interested in how ethical propositions were used in two ways: (1) how they acquired power; and, (2) how dynamic power in using an ethical proposition influenced its meaning. Stevenson realised that we actually use ethical propositions, or in fact any words, for a variety of purposes, e.g. arouse sympathy, persuade, drop hints, approve, disapprove, command, etc. He referred to this as the ‘causal or dispositional property’ of a word or proposition. He writes, ‘The emotive meaning of a word is the tendency of a word, arising

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