The metaethical theory that moral statements express non-cognitive mental states like attitudes, emotions, or commitments rather than beliefs about moral facts. It's a sophisticated development of emotivism that better accounts for moral reasoning.
From Latin 'expressus' (pressed out, expressed) and '-ism'. Developed in the late 20th century by philosophers like Simon Blackburn and Allan Gibbard as a more nuanced alternative to earlier emotivist theories.
Expressivism solves the puzzle of how we can reason about ethics without moral facts - we're coordinating our attitudes and commitments, like a complex dance of emotional alignment! It explains why moral reasoning feels logical even if it's not about objective truth.
Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.