Simple Subjectivism - Grade: A+ PDF

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An essay from Professor Sandeep Sreekumar's class on Simple Subjectivism and Emotivism, it received an A+...

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Gr a c eKa s s i n Pr o f e s s o rSr e e k u ma r Phi l o s o p hy1 70 0 H Ma r c h25th, 2 0 1 8 Si mp l eSu b j e c t i v i s ma n dEmo t i vi s m Di s a g r e e me nts e e mst ob et h eo nl yu n i f y i n gf a c t o rf o un di np r e s e nt d a ys o c i e t y . Wh e t h e r t hea r g u me n tl i e si na p p r o a c he st ot h ee c on o my , e d uc a t i o na n dl e g a ls y s t e ms ,o rmo r a l i t ya n d mo r a ls t a nd a r d s , t h eon l yt h i n gh u ma n sha v e ,i ne s s e n c e , c o met ot e r mswi t hi st h en ot i o no f “ a gr e e i n gt od i s a g r e e . ”T wob r a n c h e so fp h i l o s o p h yd e a lwi t ht h ena t u r eo ft h e s ea r g u me n t s , n a me l yi nr e s p e c tt omo r a lo n e s :Si mp l eSu b j e c t i v i s ma n dEmo t i v i s m. Th et h e o r i e st a k es i mi l a r a p pr o a c h e st omo r a l i t ya n dt h ee t h i c a lj u d gme nt sa n ds t a t e me n t sma deonad a y t o d a yb a s i s . Wh i l et h et woa r ec l o s e l yr e l a t e d ,wi t hu n de r l y i n gp r i n c i p l e sr e g a r d i n gt hes t a t u so fmo r a l s t a t e me n t s , t h et h e o r i e sr e ma i nc o n t r a s t e di nn a t u r ea n dp r a c t i c e , p a r t i c u l a r l yi nt h ei n d i v i d u a l ’ s u s eo fmo r a ll a n g u a g e . Ac c o r di n gt oSi mp l eSu b j e c t i v i s m, a na r g u me n te x p r e s s e so ne ’ so wnb e l i e fs y s t e m. Wh e n ma ki n gas t a t e me n te i t h e rf o ra g a i n s tac e r t a i nv a l u e , t h e n , h ei sn o tde c l a r i n gt h eo b j e c t i v e r i g h t ne s so rwr o n g n e s so ft h a tv a l u e .Be c a us eap e r s oni sme r e l ye x p r e s s i n ga no pi n i o n ,wh i c h c a n no tb er i g h to rwr o n g , Si mp l eSu b j e c t i v i s mi mp l i e st h a th u ma ne v a l u a t i o na ndj u d g me n ti s i n f a l l i b l e . Su p p o s eJ a me sa n dAl e xa r g u eo v e rt hee t h i c a lj u s t i fic a t i o n, o rl a c kt h e r e o f , o ft h e Na z i ’ s“ Fi n a lSo l u t i o n ”t oe xt e r mi n a t et heJ e ws . J a me sf e r v e nt l yb e l i e v e st h a tt h ewo r l dwo u l db e b e t t e ro ffwi t h o u tt h eJ e wsf o rs e v e r a lr e a s o n swh i l eAl e x ’ smo r a lp s y c h ei ss h o u t i n gt ha tt he Na z i ’ sa c t i o n swe r ei n hu ma n e ,a n i ma l i s t i c , a n de t h i c a l l ywr o n g . I na c c o r d a n c ewi t hSi mp l e Sub j e c t i v i s m, n e i t h e ro nei si n c o r r e c tb e c a u s et h e ya r ee a c hs t a t i n go p i n i o n sa b o u tpe r s o n a l

b e l i e f s .I fe a c hs p e a k e ri ss i n c e r e , t h e n, h i smo r a lj u d g e me n t sa r ec or r e c ta n dt r u e . Fu r t h e r mo r e , t het h e or yfind smor a ld i s a gr e e me n t ,j ux t a p o s e dwi t hd i s a g r e e me nt a b o u tad i l e mmaa n d o p i n i o n , i mp o s s i b l eb e c a u s et h ea r g u me n tl i e si nh uma nf e e l i n gt o wa r d sa na c t i on , n o ta b o utt h e a c t i o ni t s e l f . J a me sa n dAl e xa r en o td i s a g r e e i n gbe c a u s et h e ya r ee s s e n t i a l l ydi s c u s s i n gwh a tt h e y b e l i e v e , n o ta r g u i n go v e rt hea c t u a la c t i on so ft heNa z i s . Th eb a s i so fwh a tAl e xa n dJ a me sa r e d i s c u s s i n gi st ha t :A. Th eNa z i st r i e dt op u r i f yt hewo r l db ye x t e r mi n a t i n gJ e wsa n dB. Some p e op l ea p pr o v eo ft h eNa z i ’ sa c t i o n s , wh i l eo t h e r sd i s a p p r o v e( Ra c h e l s3 4 3 5 ) . I nt hi swa y , Si mp l eSu b j e c t i v i s m, abr a n c hde a l i n gwi t hme t a e t hi c s , u s e smo r a ll a n g u a g et oo b j e c t i v e l ys t a t e f a c t sa b o u th u ma na t t i t ud ea n de x p r e s s i o n( Mo o r e ) . Co n t r a r yt oSi mp l eSu b j e c t i vi s m, a na l t e r n a t eus eofmor a ll a n g u a g ed i s t i n g u i s h e s Emo t i v i s m. I tfir s t d e fin e st ha tt h e r ea r es e v e r a lwa y st ha tl a n g u a g ei su s e d ,n a me l yt oi n flu e n c e a n dr e po r t , r a t h e rt h a ne x p r e s s , h u ma nbe h a vi o r( Ra c h e l s3 6 ) . Ra t h e rt ha nu s e da sat oo lt os t a t e f a c t , Emo t i v i s mfind st h a tmo r a ls t a t e me n t sd on o ta t t e mp tt os t a t et h et r u t ho rf a l s i t yo famo r a l d i l e mma . I fJ a me ss a y s“ wes h o ul da l lb e c omeNe o Na z i sa n dp ur i f yt h ewo r l do fn o n Ar y a n s , ” h ewo u l dn o tb es t a t i n gs o me t h i n gt r u eo rf a l s ei nn a t u r e , h ei sme r e l ye x p r e s s i n ge mo t i o no r i s s u i n gac o mma n d me n tt oi n flu e n c et h eb e h a v i o ro ft h o s ea r o u ndh i m. Be c a u s eEmo t i v i s m r e g a r d se x pr e s s i oni nama n n e rt h a ti sno tt r u eo rf a l s e , p e o p l ec a nbei n f a l l i b l ei nt h e i rpe r s o n a l o p i n i o n s . Un l i k eSi mp l eSu b j e c t i v i s m,Emo t i v i s ma l s oa c c o u nt sf ord i s a gr e e me nt ,p r i ma r i l y a b ou ta t t i t u d e sa ndd e s i r e ,b ye xp l a i n i n gt ha twh i l et h e r ei sn oa r g ume nta b o u tt h eo b j e c t i v et r u t h o fas t a t e me n t , t h e r ei sad i s a g r e e me n ta bo u tt h ef a v o r e do u t c omeo ft h ea c t i o no rj u d g me n t . Hu ma n sc a nt he nd i s a g r e ei nt wod i ffe r e nt wa y s ,wh i l ea c c o r d i n gt oSi mp l eSu b j e c t i v i s m, mo r a l d i s a g r e e me nt v a ni s h e sb e c a u s et h e ya r ei n t e r p r e t e da ss t a t e me n t sa b o u ta t t i t u de s( Ra c h e l s36 37 ) .

I nap r i ma r ys e n s e , Emo t i vi s t se x p r e s s“ a t t i t u d e st o wa r dt h eo b j e c to fe v a l u a t i on , r a t h e rt h a n ma k ea s s e r t i o n sa b o ut t h ep r o p e r t i e so ft h a tob j e c t ”( Br i n k ) . Al t h ou g ht hen u a n c e so fEmo t i v i s ma n dSi mp l eSu b j e c t i v i s ma r ed i s t i n c t l yd i ffe r e n t , t he r ei sa nu n d e r l y i n gs i mi l a r i t yt ha tc r e a t e st hef o u n d a t i o no fb o t hp r i n c i p l e s : h u ma nj u d g me n t c a n no tb ec r i t i c i z e d . Si mp l eSu b j e c t i v i s mi mpl i e s ,a l b e i ti n c o r r e c t l y , t h a to u rmo r a lj u dg me n t sa r e a l wa y st r u ebe c a u s ei ti sama t t e ro fs t a t i n ga no pi n i o n , wh i c hc a n n otb eo b j e c t i v e l ywr o n g . Fo r Emo t i v i s m,o u r“ mo r a lj u d g me n t s ”c a n no tb ewr o n gb e c a u s et he ya r ee s s e n t i a l l yno tj u d g me n t s ; i n s t e a d , t h et h e o r yr e g a r d st h es t a t e me nt sa ss i g n sofp e r s o na la t t i t u d e s . Re g a r d i n gt h ec a s eo f J a me sa n dAl e x , t h et h e o r i e sh a v ec o n t r a s t i n gv i e wsa b ou tt h en a t u r eo ft h ea r g ume n t . Ho we v e r , b o t ha p p r o a c h e sa g r e et h a tne i t h e rJ a me sn o rAl e xa r ea tf a u l ta n dh o l dt h es t a t u so ft h e i rmo r a l s t a t e me n t si nh i g he s t e e m. Ac c o r di n gt oSi mp l eSu b j e c t i v i s m, J a me s ’b e l i e ft h a tt h eNa z i ’ s a c t i o n swe r ej u s t i fie di se t h i c a l l yc o r r e c tb e c a u s eh ei ss i n c e r ei nh i ss t a t e me nt .Th es a meg o e sf or Al e x ’ sc l a i mst h a tt h eNa z i swe r emo r a l l ywr o n g . Ac c o r d i n gt oEmot i v i s m, J a me sa n dAl e xa r e me r e l yma ki n gi n flu e n t i a ls t a t e me n t s , s t a t e me n t st h a tc a n n o tb eo b j e c t i v e l yt r u eo rf a l s e . As i d ef r o mt h ee x a mp l ei l l u s t r a t e db yt h ed e b a t eb e t we e nJ a me sa n dAl e x , t h epr i nc i p l e s o fSi mp l eSub j e c t i vi s ma n dEmot i v i s mc a nb ea p p l i e dt omu l t i p l ea r g u me n t s . Mo d e r nc a s e ss p a n t o pi c sa st r i v i a la sf a v o r i t ei c ec r e a mfla v o r st ode ba t e so v e rpr o mi n e n te t h i c a li s s ue s , l i k et h e mo r a l i t yofh o mo s e xu a l i t y . Wh i l ed i s a gr e e me n ti sap a r tofh u ma nn a t u r ea n db o t ht he o r i e sb a c k u pa r g u me n t si nv a r i o u swa y s ,t r o u b l ea r i s e swh e r e i ns o c i e t ya l l o wsb e l i e fs y s t e mst od i c t a t el e g a l s y s t e ms .Wh i l eo n ema ys a y“ Id i s a p p r o v eo fh omo s e xu a l i t ya n dt h a ti t s h o u l db eo u t l a we d a r o un dt h ec ou n t r y , ”h ed o e sn o tn e c e s s a r i l yha v ef a c t u a le v i d e nc et ob a c kuph i sc l a i ms . I fs a i d p e r s o ni si nap o s i t i o no fp o we r , h i so pi n i o ns , wh i c ha r ed e f e n d e db ye i t h e rSi mp l eSu b j e c t i v i s m o rEmo t i v i s m, wi l l b e c o met h el a w. So ,a l t h o u g hSi mp l eSu b j e c t i v i s ma n dEmo t i v i s mc a nd e f e n d

n e a r l ya n ya c t i o no rs o c i e t a lpr o c e e d i n g ,t h es t a t uso fmo r a lj u d g me nt s ,a sh e l di nh i g he s t e e mb y t het wot he or i e s , ma yu l t i ma t e l yh a r mt h eu ni t ya n dob j e c t i v emo r a l i t yo fs o c i e t ya tl a r g e .

Works Cited Brink, David O. "Emotivism." Cambridge Dictionary of Philosophy, edited by Robert Audi, 2nd ed., Cambridge University Press, 1999, pp. 260-261. Gale Virtual Reference Library, http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/CX3450000496/GVRL? u=cuny_baruch&sid=GVRL&xid=7bf95242. Accessed 18 Mar. 2018. Moore, Asher. “Emotivism: Theory and Practice.” The Journal of Philosophy, vol. 55, no. 9, 1958, pp. 375–382. JSTOR, JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/2022769. Rachels, Stuart, and James Rachels. The Elements of Moral Philosophy. McGraw-Hill, 2010....