J.L. Mackie’s Argument from Queerness against Objective Values
In his highly significant book, Ethics: Inventing Right and Wrong, the late Oxford philosopher J.L. Mackie rejected moral objectivism and instead defended an error theory.[1] Although Mackie admitted that ordinary moral language and first-level moral beliefs imply moral objectivism, he argued on empirical grounds that moral objectivism is false. Mackie called one of his anti-objectivist arguments … J.L. Mackie’s Argument from Queerness against Objective Values
Morality Cannot Have a Foundation in God: A Summary for the General Reader by Quentin Smith
The following essay was written by Quentin Smith around 2001 or 2002, but inexplicably fell through the cracks. While organizing files on my computer, I recently rediscovered it and am happy to be able to share it with our readers. I am posting it here, without taking a position pro or con, for interested readers. Feel … Morality Cannot Have a Foundation in God: A Summary for the General Reader by Quentin Smith
Whitcomb’s Grounding Argument for Atheism and Reply by Rasmussen et al
I am quoting the abstract of these papers here, without comment pro or con, for interested readers who may wish to read the papers for themselves. Feel free to debate in the combox. Whitcomb’s argument for atheism: Abstract I’m going to argue that omniscience is impossible and therefore that there is no God. The argument turns on … Whitcomb’s Grounding Argument for Atheism and Reply by Rasmussen et al
LINK: What is a Physical Object? by Ned Markosian
I am quoting the abstract of this paper here, without comment pro or con, for interested readers who may wish to read the paper for themselves. Feel free to debate in the combox. Abstract: The concept of a physical object has figured prominently in the history of philosophy, and is probably more important now than it has ever … LINK: What is a Physical Object? by Ned Markosian
Index: Atheist Error Theorists
Many atheists have claimed that atheism entails that moral realism is false; many theistic apologists gleefully quote those atheists. But how do those atheists support their claim? This page provides an index to other Secular Outpost posts which discuss specific atheists’ arguments for the claim that atheism somehow supports moral nihilism or error theory. Related posts:
The Amalekites and Options for Apologists
I have been having a very interesting discussion with a Christian correspondent who calls himself “Veritas.” Discussions of this sort all too often generate far more heat than light, so let me first note that in our interactions the contributions by Veritas have been consistently intelligent, courteous, and candid. The focus of our conversation has … The Amalekites and Options for Apologists
What *Is* the Logical Structure of Mackie’s Anti-Moral Realism Argument?
Although the contemporary metaethics literature contains many references to (and discussions of) the late J.L. Mackie’s arguments against moral realism, I’ve never seen anyone formally analyze its logical structure. (If I’m mistaken and someone has done that, please provide a citation in the combox.) The goal of this post is to try to take first … What *Is* the Logical Structure of Mackie’s Anti-Moral Realism Argument?
Michael Ruse’s Argument against Moral Realism and for Error Theory
Michael Ruse is a philosopher of biology and an atheist who is well-known for his writings about evolution. In various writings, Ruse has argued against moral realism by appealing to (Darwinian) evolution. Instead, he argues, the scientific facts about evolution justify the conclusion that moral error theory is correct. In this post, I want to assess … Michael Ruse’s Argument against Moral Realism and for Error Theory
One Problem with Swinburne’s Case for God – Part 2
In a previous post I pointed out three different problems related to the third argument in Richard Swinburne’s systematic case for the existence of God. The third argument is the final argument of his arguments from the nature of the universe. It is his Teleological Argument from Spatial Order (hereafter: TASO):(e3) There is a complex physical … One Problem with Swinburne’s Case for God – Part 2
Biblical Genocide and Village Atheists
This post springs from an interesting discussion I had with Scott Scheule in the comments section of an earlier post. The issues there are important enough to deserve a deeper look. Quoting the Bible against believers is one of the hoariest weapons in the freethinker’s war chest. It has been done many times, never more … Biblical Genocide and Village Atheists