--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Those emotive theorists who said that the…" description: "\"Those emotive theorists who said that the function of moral utterance was to evince emotion would... have been correct if they had substituted the inde..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/417/alasdair-macintyre-14695_action_those-emotive-theorists-who-said-that-th_803482.jpg" --- # Those emotive theorists who said that the function of… ![“Those emotive theorists who said that the function of moral utterance was to evince emotion would... have been correct if they had substituted the indefinite for the definite article.” quote by Alasdair MacIntyre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/417/alasdair-macintyre-14695_action_those-emotive-theorists-who-said-that-th_803482.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/417/alasdair-macintyre-14695_action_those-emotive-theorists-who-said-that-th_803482.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/417/alasdair-macintyre-14695_action_those-emotive-theorists-who-said-that-th_803482.jpg) > “Those emotive theorists who said that the function of moral utterance was to evince emotion would... have been correct if they had substituted the indefinite for the definite article.” [Alasdair MacIntyre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alasdair-macintyre/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Moral language aims to evoke emotion, but precise wording matters; using indefinite articles weakens the intended moral force. **In simple terms:** Moral speech should be precise, not vague. Key Takeaway Use clear, definite language when expressing moral judgments. Themes moral philosophy language communication Mood analytical critical Type philosophical educational When to use this quote - public speaking - ethical debates - teaching morality Key Concepts ethics linguistics philosophy Questions to Reflect On - What words best convey moral urgency? - How does language shape moral perception? A Different Perspective Overly abstract language can dilute moral impact. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Action](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/action/) [Articles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/articles/) [Definite](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/definite/) [Emotion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/emotion/) [Emotion Correct](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/emotion-correct-6147314/) [Emotive Theorists](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/emotive-theorists-6147312/) [Ethics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ethics/) [Function](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/function/) [Has beens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/has-beens/) [Ifs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ifs/) [Indefinite Definite](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/indefinite-definite-6147313/) [Moral](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/moral/) [Moral Utterance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/moral-utterance-6147311/) [Psychology](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/psychology/) [Said](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/said/) [Substituted Indefinite](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/substituted-indefinite-6147310/) [Theorists](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/theorists/) [Utterance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/utterance/) ## Related quotes > [ I can assure the conspiracy theorists who have very effectively savaged \[Gerald\] Posner in their books that they're going to have a much, much… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vincent-bugliosi/i-can-assure-the-conspiracy-theorists-who-have-very-effectively/) [Vincent Bugliosi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vincent-bugliosi/) > [“Theorists are always saying something. 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