hard · MCAT Critical Analysis & Reasoning Skills
Emotivism, a radical form of non-cognitivism, suggests that moral language serves primarily to influence the behavior of others by expressing the speaker's feelings. If I tell a friend that 'honesty is a virtue,' I am not describing a property of honesty, but attempting to induce a pro-honesty attitude in my friend. This explains the 'magnetic' quality of moral language—why moral judgments seem to move us toward action in a way that dry facts do not. Yet, this psychological efficacy comes at a high price. If moral discourse is merely a tool for emotional manipulation, then the distinction between moral persuasion and brainwashing becomes dangerously blurred. True moral debate requires a shared appeal to reasons that transcend the speaker's immediate intent to influence. Which of the following
would the author most likely see as a dangerous consequence of widespread adoption of the emotivist view? A decrease in the overall level of empathy and emotional intelligence in the general population. The replacement of reasoned political discourse with sophisticated psychological advertising and rhetoric. An increase in moral skepticism, leading people to abandon all forms of social and ethical norms. A shift in the legal system toward more punitive measures to replace 'moral influence' with fear.
- A shift in the legal system toward heavier punitive sentencing measures meant to replace 'moral influence' with outright fear.
- An increase in moral skepticism that leads people to gradually abandon most existing social and ethical norms.
- The replacement of reasoned political discourse with sophisticated psychological advertising and rhetoric.
- A general decrease in the overall level of empathy and emotional intelligence found in the population.
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