Feelings in Decision Making: Emotions vs. Rationality

Study Notes

Emotional Influence on Decision-Making

Emotions significantly impact decision-making, often leading to choices that contradict rational self-interest.
Quick emotional decisions are typically followed by subjective rationalizations, which may obscure awareness of the initial emotional influence.
High intensity of emotions can hinder rational processes, leading to detrimental judgments.
Unrelated emotional states can introduce biases, resulting in poor decision-making and unpredictable actions.
Individuals frequently misjudge future emotional responses, which can generate errors in decision-making.

Emotivism in Moral Philosophy

Linguistic philosophers, known as emotivists, argue that moral statements, such as "stealing is wrong," express emotions rather than factual assertions.
The emotivist perspective contends that statements of moral judgment reflect personal desires rather than objective truths.
Verifiable claims exist for specific actions, like "Pedro stole my cat," but moral judgments lack the same verifiability; they are merely expressions of individual sentiment.
The certainty of moral actions can be based on evidence (e.g., meeting legal definitions of theft), but moral statements themselves remain subjective.

Managing Emotions Wisely

Aristotle emphasized the complexity of properly managing anger, suggesting it requires specific conditions (right person, extent, time, motive).
A moral individual demonstrates capability in handling emotions appropriately without displacing them onto undeserving subjects.

Nature of Ethical Statements

Emotivism posits that ethical statements serve as emotional expressions rather than factual declarations.
Moral judgments are analogous to expressions of taste, leading to the assertion that disputes over taste (e.g., opinions on food) are inherently unresolvable.
The emotivist view challenges the verification of moral claims as parallels with legal assertions about criminal acts raise questions on the truth of ethical pronouncements.

Summary of Emotivism

Ethical judgments are predominantly sentiments, and expressing disapproval is wrapped in emotional undertones rather than factual description.
Emotivism, as developed by A.J. Ayer and furthered by Charles Stevenson, emphasizes the non-verifiable nature of moral statements.
The phrase "De gustibus non disputandum est" reflects the idea that personal tastes and emotional responses resist objective debate.

Description

Explore how emotions influence our decision-making processes, often driving us in directions that conflict with our self-interest. Learn about the positives and negatives of emotional decision making and how to balance rational thinking with emotional instincts.