Hume's theory of mind

  1. Explain Hume’s Ought-gap (5)

Support non-cognitivism

Emotivists could use Hume’s argument about

Reason is the source of our beliefs .

Passion is the source of our motivation.

Overall = Our morals are not cognitive beliefs at all they are passions and feelings.

Reason Passion

Relation of ideas

Analytic , a priori , necessary

Matters of fact

Synthetic , a posteriori , contingent

Source of “ all genuine knowledge “

Feelings

e.g. happiness/sadness

Aesthetic sentiments

e.g. beautiful/ugly

Moral sentiments

Desires

ARGUMENT -

P1. Moral attitudes intrinsically motivate us to do / not do particular things - MOTIVATIONAL INTERNALISM

e.g. Example of contradiction , someone smoking weed but claims its bad/wrong - the person doesn’t really think smoking is bad as he’s motivated to keep smoking , wouldn’t change behaviour

P2. Reason on its own could never motivate us to do anything

C. Therefore moral attitudes are not “judgements of reason”

Criticise P1 - sociopathic serial killer knows what they are doing is wrong but they don’t care

Evaluate MR realist fil cognitive fail - fails