Date of Award
10-18-2016
Degree Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Philosophy (MPHIL)
Department
Philosophy
First Advisor
Prof. BAKER Derek
Second Advisor
Prof. LIVINGSTON Paisley
Abstract
Section 1 of this thesis investigates one issue in meta-ethics, namely, the nature of moral judgments. What are moral judgments? What does it mean by "wrong" when we assert "Killing is wrong?" Neo-sentimentalism is a meta-ethical theory which holds that the judgment that killing wrong is the judgment that it is appropriate to have a particular negative emotion towards the action. In other words, to judge that murder is wrong is to judge that we have a right reason for having a negative emotion towards the behavior. In the framework of neo-sentimentalism, the concepts of wrongness consist of negative emotions.
If the moral judgment is the judgment that it is appropriate to have a negative emotion towards the action, and the concept of wrongness contains a negative emotion, then the following question is what emotions are. In section 2, I endorse the bodily attitudinal theory of emotions, a view which holds that a conscious physiological reaction which induces behavior disposition and the change of facial expression and internal organs is necessary for having an emotion. This section also articulates and replies to three major objections towards the bodily attitudinal theory of emotion.
Copyright
The copyright of this thesis is owned by its author. Any reproduction, adaptation, distribution or dissemination of this thesis without express authorization is strictly prohibited.
Recommended Citation
Chan, C. N. E. (2016). Neo-sentimentalism and the bodily attitudinal theory of emotions. (Master's thesis, Lingnan University, Hong Kong). Retrieved from http://commons.ln.edu.hk/philo_etd/17