Imagine you’re standing in a bakery, gazing at a tray of freshly baked cookies. No one is in sight and you are hungry. You think to yourself, “Stealing is wrong.” But is it really? According to philosopher J.L. Mackie’s Error Theory, maybe not.
What is the Error Theory?
The Error Theory is a concept in ethics that suggests all moral judgments are fundamentally mistaken. It claims that when we make moral statements like “stealing is wrong” or “honesty is good,” we are mistakenly assuming there are objective moral facts to support the rightness or wrongness of actions. In reality, Mackie argues, there are no such objective moral facts.
The Error at the Heart of Morality
To understand the Error Theory better, here we are looking at the example of “stealing is wrong.” According to this theory, the statement presupposes the existence of an objective moral property, “wrongness,” which doesn’t actually exist in the world.
Mackie’s theory further suggests that when we make moral judgments, there is a fundamental error, much like if we believed in fire breathing dragons, despite their non-existence.
There’s a mismatch between our moral language and the world it attempts to describe.
Embracing Moral Anti-Realism
So, does this theory suggest that we should give up on morality altogether? Not necessarily. The Error Theory doesn’t argue for abandoning moral principles; rather, it encourages us to rethink them. Instead of grounding our moral beliefs in objective moral facts, we are encouraged to adopt a more pragmatic and anti-realist approach.
In this view, moral judgments express our feelings, social norms, and values, but they don’t refer to anything objective. For example, when we say “stealing is wrong,” we’re expressing our disapproval of stealing based on our cultural and personal values, but we’re not claiming that “wrongness” is a feature ingrained in the universe.
Implications for Morality
Mackie’s Error Theory challenges us to reflect on the nature of our moral judgments. It doesn’t make morality disappear; it just reframes it. Instead of searching for universal moral truths, we recognize that our moral convictions are rooted in our subjective perspectives and societal influences.
In the end, the Error Theory serves as a thought-provoking reminder that our moral compass is a product of our humanity, not a fixed external reality. It encourages us to be aware of the potential errors ingrained in our moral thinking and to approach ethical questions with humility and open-mindedness.