__________ argued, "If I say to someone 'You acted wrongly in stealing that money,' I am not stating anything more if I had simply said 'You stole that money.' In adding that this action is wrong . . . I am simply evincing my moral disapproval of it. It is as if I said 'You stole that money,' in a particular tone of horror, or written it with the addition of some special exclamation marks. This tone, or the exclamation marks, . . . [serves] merely to show that the expression of it is attended by certain feelings in the speaker."
A) Thomas Aquinas
B) John Calvin
C) Linda Zagzebski
D) A. J. Ayer

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

This passage is discussing the concept of emotivism, which is associated with the philosopher A. J. Ayer. Emotivists argue that moral statements do not express objective truths, but rather are simply expressions of the speaker's emotions, attitudes, or preferences. The passage suggests that saying "you acted wrongly in stealing that money" is no different from simply saying "you stole that money," because the addition of the word "wrongly" does not add any objective information, but only expresses the speaker's disapproval.

__________ Argued, "If I Say to Someone 'You Acted Wrongly