The End of Morality

Taking Moral Abolitionism Seriously

Richard Joyce, Richard Garner

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English

Routledge
02 January 2019

Philosophy: epistemology & theory of knowledge; Ethics & moral philosophy; Psychology; Social, group or collective psychology; Philosophy of science

According to the moral error theorist, all moral judgments are mistaken. The world just doesn’t contain the properties and relations necessary for these judgments to be true. But what should we actually do if we decided that we are in this radical and unsettling predicament—that morality is just a widespread and heartfelt illusion? One suggestion is to eliminate all talk and thought of morality (abolitionism). Another is to carry on believing it anyway (conservationism). And yet another is to treat morality as a kind of convenient fiction (fictionalism). We tend to think of moral thinking as valuable and useful (e.g., for motivating cooperative behavior), but we can also recognize that it can be harmful (e.g., hindering compromise) and even disastrous (e.g., inspiring support for militaristic propaganda). Would we be better off or worse off if we stopped basing decisions on moral considerations?

This is a collection of twelve brand new chapters focused on a critical examination of the options available to the moral error theorist. After a general introduction outlining the topic, explaining key terminology, and offering suggestions for further reading, the chapters address questions like:

• Is it true that the more that people are motivated by moral concerns, the more likely it is that society will be elitist, authoritarian, and dishonest? • Is an appeal to moral values a useful tool for helping resolve conflicts, or does it actually exacerbate conflicts? • Would it even be possible to abolish morality from our thinking?

• If we were to accept a moral error theory, would it be feasible to carry on believing in morality in everyday contexts? • Might moral discourse be usefully modeled on familiar metaphorical language, where we can convey useful and important truths by uttering falsehoods? • Does moral thinking support or undermine a commitment to feminist goals? • What role do moral judgments play in addressing important decisions affecting climate change? The End of Morality: Taking Moral Abolitionism Seriously is the first book to thoroughly address these and other questions, systematically investigating the harms and benefits of moral thought, and considering what the world might be like without morality.

Edited by: Richard Joyce, Richard Garner
Imprint: Routledge
Country of Publication: United States
Dimensions: Height: 229mm, Width: 152mm,
Weight: 356g
ISBN: 9780815358602
ISBN 10: 0815358601
Pages: 222
Publication Date: 02 January 2019
Audience: College/higher education , Primary
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Active

Introduction PART I: Background thinking 1. Good and gold Jordan Howard Sobel 2. To hell with morality Ian Hinckfuss 3. Moral foolishness explained Hans-Georg Moeller PART II: The case for abolitionism 4. After such knowledge—what? Living and speaking in a world without objective morality Russell Blackford 5. A plea for moral abolitionism Richard Garner 6. Beyond the surf and spray: Erring on the side of error theory Joel Marks PART III: Alternatives to abolitionism 7. Moral practice after error theory: Negotiationism Björn Eriksson and Jonas Olson 8. Minimizing the misuse of morality Jessica Isserow 9. Moral fictionalism: How to have your cake and eat it too Richard Joyce PART IV: Moral skepticism: Case studies 10. Morality and oppression Nicolas Olsson Yaouzis 11. Should feminists be moral error theorists? Caroline West 12. The effects of morality on acting against climate change Thomas Pölzler Index

Richard Garner is Professor Emeritus of Philosophy at Ohio State University, USA. He is the author of Beyond Morality (1994). He has written articles on metaethics, the philosophy of language, and Chinese philosophy. Richard Joyce is a Professor of Philosophy at Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand. He is author of The Myth of Morality (2001), The Evolution of Morality (2006), and Essays in Moral Skepticism (2016), as well as numerous articles and book chapters on metaethics and moral psychology. He is also the editor of The Routledge Handbook of Evolution and Philosophy (2018).

Reviews for The End of Morality: Taking Moral Abolitionism Seriously

This is a an excellently edited collection of essays around a theme which has so far received too little attention. The essays concern which changes we might expect if moral error theory were absorbed in the culture. Would moralizing and moral argumentation cease? The list of authors offers a good mix of experts on error theory and philosophers from other areas who contribute with new perspectives. I can highly recommend the volume to any student of the subject. --Folke Tersman, Uppsala University