Kevin Reuter

1 Introduction In this paper, we show that the way we use morally evaluative terms to talk about other people's character or behavior is systematically asymmetrical. Negative evaluative terms are used to assign blame to a person when they do not meet some moral standard of expectable, common moral decency. The assertive use of negative evaluative terms almost exclusively serves the purpose of negatively evaluating moral transgressions and assigning blame for them.