Emotivism is a meta-ethical theory that believes objective moral laws do not exist and that moral terms express personal emotional attitudes rather than factual propositions. According to A.J. Ayer, the philosopher who developed emotivism, ethical statements are neither verifiable nor analytic, but are used to express approval or disapproval in order to influence others. Emotivism faces challenges as it does not allow for basic moral principles to be established, renders ethical debate pointless, and means there can be no universal agreement on what actions are right or wrong.

1. Emotivism
By the end of this lesson you will
have:
Be able define the meta-ethical
theory of EMOTIVISM.
Understand A.J. AYERS ideas on
emotivism and why it’s called the
‘BOO-HURRAH THEORY’.
Be confident with using the following
terms:
- Non-cognitive
- Verified
- Analytic
- Synthetic

3. Spec Check
Emotivism Challenges
F Meta-ethical approaches – Emotivism:
Theory that believes objective moral
laws do not exist; a non-cognitivist
theory; moral terms express personal
emotional attitudes and not
propositions; ethical terms are just
expressions of personal approval
(hurrah) or disapproval (boo); explains
why people disagree about morality.
A.J. Ayer – ethical statements are neither
verifiable nor analytic; made to express
joy or pain (emotion); expressed to be
persuasive; emotivism in not
subjectivism.
Challenges: No basic moral principles can
be established; ethical debate becomes a
pointless activity; there is no universal
agreement that some actions are wrong.
• The extent to which moral terms are
just expressions of our emotions.

4. Emotivism
•An ethical theory which says that moral
statements are just expressions of FEELINGS
and/or EMOTIONS.
•It is a NON-COGNITIVE theory.
•Ethical statements cannot be proved true or
false.
•Therefore, objective moral laws do NOT exist.

5. Emotivism
•1920s Vienna Circle
•Developed a theory called LOGICAL POSITIVISM.
•Only what can be tested can be meaningful

6. A. J. Ayer
•Alfred Jules Ayer
•1910-1989
•British Philosopher
•Book: Language, Truth and
Logic

7. TASK
• In pairs, read the text about emotivism and answer the following
questions:
• 1. Is a statement such as ‘euthanasia is wrong’ a factual statement for
an emotivist?
• 2. What can an ethical statement arouse and stimulate?
• 3. What 2 types of statement are meaningful for A J Ayer and the
logical positivists?
• 4. What is all ethical language according to the logical positivists?
• 5. What is the ‘boo hurrah’ theory?

8. A. J. Ayer
•A statement is meaningful
only if it can be VERIFIED.

9. A. J. Ayer
•A meaningful statement
could be verified
SYNTHETICALLY or
ANALYTICALLY…

10. Synthetic Statements
•Can be verified by sense experience (i.e.
empirically). E.g. …
“There’s a
squirrel in
that tree.”
“Anna
has
blonde
hair.”

11. Analytic Statements
•True by definition E.g. …
“2+2=4.”“Frozen water is ice.”

12. Task: Synthetic or Analytic?
1. A bachelor is an unmarried man.
2. A straight line is the shortest distance
between two points.
3. It is raining outside.
4. Danny Pearson is the principal of Aquinas
College.
5. A triangle is a three sided shape.

13. Ethical/Moral Statements
•War is wrong.
•Euthanasia is right.
•Capital punishment
is right.
Q: Are the ethical statements
on the left analytic or
synthetic?
A: Neither!
Q: What does Ayer conclude
about ethical statements?
A: They are MEANINGLESS!
• Ayer argued that ethical/moral statements are not analytic
(verified by definition) and not synthetic (verified empirically).
• Therefore, objective moral laws do not exist.

14. Emotivism
•Ayer explained ethical statements and moral
judgements as EMOTIVE RESPONSES, expressing
feelings.
•Ayer’s theory is known as EMOTIVISM.

15. Emotivism
•According to Ayer, to say that “the ouch I express
when I tread on a pin is true” is meaningless.
•In the same way, moral arguments are
meaningless.
•How?

16. Boo - Hurrah
•Ayer saw ethical language simply as an
expression of feeling of approval or disapproval.
•Sometimes called the ‘BOO-HURRAH THEORY’.

17. Boo - Hurrah
Is the same as …
Abortion is wrong.
Abortion. Boo!

18. Boo - Hurrah
•Respond to the following issues/actions
with “BOO!” or “HURRAH!”.

19. Emotivism
Notice that the emotive response varied amongst people in the class.
How do we know who is right?
For in saying that a certain type of action is right or
wrong, I am not making any factual statement … I am
merely expressing certain moral sentiments. And the
man who is ostensibly contradicting me is merely
expressing his moral sentiments. So there is plainly no
sense in asking which of us is in the right. For neither of
us is asserting a genuine proposition.
(Ayer, Language, Truth and Logic)

20. Emotivism
•Ayer was influenced by David Hume.
•Hume believed that SENTIMENT is the
source of right and wrong.
•You help someone because you have
FEELINGS not because of reason.

21. Emotions are persuasive
• What’s the point of emotivism?
• Ethical claims are not designed to make ethical claims, but to
invoke emotional responses from the hearer.
• What statements mean isn’t important, but rather what they
accomplish.
• E.g. “Abortion is wrong” is a recommendation for people not to
abort a foetus.
• They try to PERSUADE the listener to respond in a certain way.
• “…ethical statements do not serve only to express feelings. They
are calculated also to arouse feeling , and so to STIMULATE
ACTION.” (Ayer, Language, Truth and Logic)

22. Emotivism
• Independently, read pages 170-172 (Non-cognitive
theories of meta-ethics) and answer the following
questions:
1. Why is emotivism regarded as a ‘non-cognitive’
theory?
2. Why are ethical statements meaningless according to
Ayer? (You need to refer to the verification principle
in your answer.
3. Define ‘emotivism’.
4. Although not factual, what can ethical statements
do?

23. Learning Check …
• By the end of today’s lesson you will:
• Be able define the meta-ethical theory of EMOTIVISM.
• Understand A.J. AYERS ideas on emotivism and why it’s called the
‘BOO-HURRAH THEORY’.
• Be confident with using the following terms:
- Non-cognitive
- Verified
- Analytic
- Synthetic
Skills Focus
- AO1 – knowledge and understanding
- Specialist language and vocabulary
Boo!
Hurrah!

24. ETHICS - Theme 1: Ethical Thought
F – Meta-ethical approaches - Emotivism
• By the end of today’s lesson you will:
• Have consolidated your understanding of EMOTIVISM.
• Know three CHALLENGES to emotivism.
Skills Focus
- AO1 – knowledge and understanding
- Specialist language and vocabulary
Boo!
Hurrah!

25. Challenges
Task
•Explain how the following challenge emotivism.
Try to use examples to show your understanding:
1. No basic moral principles can be established.
2. Ethical debate becomes a pointless activity.
3. There is no universal agreement that some
actions are wrong.

26. No basic moral principles can be established.
• One could never establish that, for example, “rape is wrong”.
• Why not?
• Ethical statements are meaningless, non-cognitive statements – they
just express our emotion. I am simply saying “I don’t like rape”, or
“Rape – boo!”
• Why, according to Ayer, are ethical statements meaningless?
• They cannot be verified.
• Why not?
• They are not analytic or synthetic.

27. Ethical debate becomes a pointless activity.
• It cannot state that something is right/wrong.
• Emotivism is based on feelings not reason.
• It is nothing more than a ‘boo-hurrah’ shouting match.
• Vardy and Grosch in ‘The Puzzle of Ethics’ state that
emotivism leaves ethical debate as “just so much hot air and
nothing else.”

28. There is no universal agreement that some
actions are wrong
• If we can’t ever talk about what is wrong, how can we ever
agree on basic global moral principles?
• Surely most people think hurting a child is wrong, but we
can’t make this claim
• For example, Amnesty International would never be able to
try and abolish the death penalty nor would the UN be able
to say that child labour is wrong

29. Consolidate and Stretch your Knowledge
• Tasks
1. Read the emotivism essay that’s in your reading log.
• From your reading, add to your notes on emotivism – e.g. other scholars’
contributions, new examples, arguments that would be useful for an
evaluation (AO2) question.
2. Choose which of the following to do:
• Write a response to the question on emotivism in your essay planning
book. (PEEL)
• Create flash cards on key vocabulary/terms relating to emotivism.
• Create an emotivism mind-map