From Non-Cognitivism to Global Expressivism: Carnap’s Unfinished Journey?

Huw Price

Dear all,

The next Carnap Webinar will take place on May 13, 2026. Our speaker will be Huw Price (Trinity College Cambridge), who will give a talk entitled From Non-Cognitivism to Global Expressivism: Carnap’s Unfinished Journey?

I am writing in advance as the talk will take place at a different time than usual, since the speaker will be presenting from Sydney. Please find below the details and corresponding time zones:

Speaker: Huw Price (Trinity College Cambridge)
Title: From Non-Cognitivism to Global Expressivism: Carnap’s Unfinished Journey?
Time: May 13, 2026
• 12:00–14:00 (CEST, Rome Hours)
• 20:00–22:00 (AEST, Sydney Hours)
• 06:00–08:00 (EDT, New York Hours)
Link: meet.google.com/uaq-jqpf-mwr

The talk is based on a paper available here.

The series is organized in collaboration with Carnap in Context IV (ÖAW, FWF Grant PAT7905424) and Rudolf Carnap Digital (MCMP, LMU Munich). For further information about the Reconstructing Carnap Webinar Series 2026, please consult the following webpage:
https://valep.vc.univie.ac.at/files/External/2026_Reconstructing_Carnap-original.pdf

Videos of past presentations are available on the YouTube channel of the series—feel free to explore and subscribe:
Reconstructing Carnap Webinar Series – YouTube

For any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me.
I very much look forward to seeing you all!

Best regards,
Caterina

Abstract

From Non-Cognitivism to Global Expressivism: Carnap’s Unfinished Journey?

By Huw Price(Trinity College Cambridge)

Carnap was one of the first to use the term “non-cognitivism.” His linguistic pluralism and voluntarism, together with his deflationary views of ontology and semantics, are highly congenial to those of us who want to take non-cognitivism in the direction of global expressivism. In his own case, however, this move is in tension with his continued endorsement of what he calls “the general thesis of logical empiricism,” namely that “there is no third kind of knowledge besides empirical and logical knowledge.” Thus, while Carnap clears a path towards global expressivism, he does not seem to fully appreciate what this path requires him to leave behind.