Scholar

A. J. Ayer

1910–1989 · Logical positivist; emotivism's 'Boo/Hurrah' theory of moral language.

Biography

A. J. Ayer applied the verification principle to ethics: moral statements are neither analytic nor empirically verifiable, so they are meaningless as facts — mere expressions of emotion.

Key Ideas

  • Verification principle.
  • Emotivism (Boo/Hurrah theory).
  • Non-cognitivism.

Topics Appearing In

Exam Importance

The key emotivist in Meta-Ethics; note the self-refutation objection to the verification principle.