J. L. Mackie: Ethics: Inventing Right and Wrong

question 21

Essay

J. L. Mackie: Ethics: Inventing Right and Wrong
Mackie's position, which he calls "moral skepticism" but has come to be more commonly known as "the error theory," involves two central claims. First, Mackie claims that ordinary moral discourse contains a "claim to objectivity." When someone makes a moral claim-e.g., that abortion is immoral-they do not mean to merely express their feelings or issue a command. Rather, they are seeking to describe an intrinsic feature of the action in question-in this case, that abortion is objectively the sort of thing that ought not to be done. Second, Mackie claims that objective moral values do not exist. It follows from these two theses that all moral claims are false.
Mackie gives two main arguments for his claim that objective values do not exist. The Argument from Relativity maintains that variation in moral judgments, both between individuals and between societies, is best explained by the hypothesis that moral judgments reflect ways of life rather than objective moral facts. If so, Mackie claims, there is good reason to believe that moral facts do not exist. The second argument, the Argument from Queerness, has two parts, one metaphysical and one epistemological. Metaphysically, if objective values did exist, they would be completely unlike anything else in the universe, in that they would give us reasons for action independently of what we happen to desire or aim at. Epistemologically, if such values existed, they would have to be known by some special faculty of intuition, completely different from our other ways of knowing about the world. Because it is implausible that such strange facts or faculties exist, Mackie claims, we should accept that no objective values exist. Mackie concludes with a brief discussion of how people could come to believe in objective values, despite their non-existence.
-Critically examine one of Mackie's two main arguments against the existence of objective moral values. Describe the argument in detail, and then raise what you take to be the most serious objection to the argument. Do you think Mackie's argument succeeds? Defend your answer.

Recognize the importance of establishing decision-critical attributes.

Identify strategies to achieve objectivity and impartiality during decision making.

Identify and mitigate cognitive biases and risks in the decision-making process.

Distinguish between the different phases of dominance structuring and their specific precautions.

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Definitions:

Message Internalization

The process by which individuals accept a communicated message as being consistent with their own values or beliefs, thus influencing their attitudes or behavior.

Return on Emotion

A metric evaluating the emotional engagement and reactions provoked by a brand, product, or campaign, reflecting its impact on customer behavior.

Earned Reach

The exposure a brand gains through word-of-mouth or other non-paid forms of promotion, often amplified by digital platforms and social media.

Fandom

Fandom represents the collective fans of a particular entertainment property, personality, or genre, characterized by a shared enthusiasm and often expressed through fan activities, creations, and communities.