MacIntyre’s emotivism in library and information science: A virtue ethics solution

This study interprets a prevailing “Values War” paradigm in ethical discourse within Library and Information Science (LIS) through Alasdair MacIntyre’s discussion of emotivism in After Virtue , paving the way for an alternative moral discourse based in virtue ethics. The “Values War” paradigm represents a clash between “neutral” and “interventionist” perspectives, creating a moral impasse incongruous with the character of values identified in previous research. To address this, MacIntyre’s discussion of emotivism highlights a disconnect between theoretical arguments and their social origin. The values of neutrality and intellectual freedom illustrate this disconnect, with a defence that draws on the Enlightenment and criticism that draws on postmodern perspectives. Second, the current argument makes the case for an alternative discourse grounded in virtue ethics. MacIntyre lays the groundwork for this alternative, conjoining incommensurable perspectives through a shared narrative identity embedded in moral tradition . Seen this way, LIS becomes a practice where core values provide a shared moral foundation. Third, the argument draws on Christine Swanton’s Target Centred Virtue Ethics , developing a conception of virtue ethics that meets the demands of professional practice. Like MacIntyre, Swanton accommodates a social conception of virtue—understood as a disposition to honour core values—incorporating a particularism that caters for context in moral debate. The argument’s overall purpose, therefore, is to present a solution with potential to transcend a “Values War” discourse. By doing this, the profession may begin to transcend dogmatic difference and move towards a more empathetic understanding of ethical challenges.