Moral Error Theory, Softcover reprint of the original 1st ed. 2018

This book provides a novel formulation and defence of moral error theory. It also provides a novel solution to the so-called now what question; viz., the question what we should do with our moral thought and talk after moral error theory. The novel formulation of moral error theory uses pragmatic presupposition rather than conceptual entailment to argue that moral judgments carry a non-negotiable commitment to categorical moral reasons. The new answer to the now what question is pragmatic presupposition substitutionism: we should substitute our current moral judgments, which pragmatically presuppose the existence of categorical moral reasons with ?schmoral? judgments that pragmatically presuppose the existence of a specific class of prudential reasons. These are prudential reasons that, when we act on them, contribute to the satisfaction of what the author calls ?the fundamental desire?; namely, the desire to live in a world with mutually beneficial cooperation.

Wouter Floris Kalf is Postdoctoral Researcher and Assistant Professor in philosophy at Utrecht University, The Netherlands. Dr Kalf has taught philosophy at the universities of York, Bristol, Leeds, and various universities in the Netherlands. He has published on metaethics in such journals as Philosophical Studies and The Journal of Value Inquiry.

Argues for a new version of moral error theory

Reformulates the moral error theory in metaethics in terms of pragmatic presuppositions rather than conceptual entailments

Offers a new substitutivist response to the ‘then what?’ question of what should happen after we come to recognise that the moral error theory is true