Error Theory

Definition: Moral judgements are beliefs that are intended to be true or false, and that moral properties don’t exist, so all moral judgements are false. this makes error theory a cognitivist, anti realist theory

The argument from relativity: There are variations in moral beliefs between cultures and time periods. Surely if moral realism was correct, there would be one objectively correct answer. This can be explained in two ways

1. One culture somehow discovered objective moral reality while the other hasn’t

2. Each culture has different conditions and a different way of life, developing their own moral beliefs in response

Mackie argues the second is more plausible, and if moral realism were true, you wouldn’t expect to see such divergent moral beliefs, all societies would’ve discovered these facts, like how simple mathematical truths have been discovered by all societies