Noncognition

Noncognition refers to the philosophical idea that certain types of statements or expressions do not express propositions that can be true or false. Instead, they are seen as serving other functions, such as expressing emotions, issuing commands, or making commitments. This contrasts with cognitivism, the view that moral and other evaluative statements do express propositions.

A prominent form of noncognitivism is emotivism, which argues that moral judgments are merely expressions of the speaker's feelings or attitudes, similar to exclamations like "Boo!" or "Hooray!". Another form is prescriptivism, which posits that ethical statements function as commands or prescriptions. For example, saying "Stealing is wrong" is interpreted as commanding others not to steal.

Noncognitivism often arises in discussions of meta-ethics, the branch of philosophy concerned with the nature of morality. Proponents argue that noncognitivism provides a more straightforward explanation for the lack of objective, verifiable truth in moral claims and the difficulty in resolving moral disagreements. Critics, however, contend that noncognitivism fails to account for the apparent objectivity and deliberative nature of moral discourse, and that it reduces morality to mere subjective preference or social engineering. The debate between cognitivism and noncognitivism remains a central topic in contemporary meta-ethics.