1. Good News for Moral Error Theorists: A Master Argument Against Companions in Guilt Strategies
- Author
-
Christopher Cowie
- Subjects
Structure (mathematical logic) ,05 social sciences ,Appeal ,Analogy ,06 humanities and the arts ,0603 philosophy, ethics and religion ,050105 experimental psychology ,Epistemology ,Dilemma ,Philosophy ,Argument ,060302 philosophy ,Error theory ,0501 psychology and cognitive sciences ,Psychology ,Master argument - Abstract
Moral error theories are often rejected by appeal to ‘companions in guilt’ arguments. The most popular form of companions in guilt argument takes epistemic reasons for belief as a ‘companion’ and proceeds by analogy. I show that this strategy fails. I claim that the companions in guilt theorist must understand epistemic reasons as evidential support relations if her argument is to be dialectically effective. I then present a dilemma. Either epistemic reasons are evidential support relations or they are not. If they are not, then the companions in guilt argument fails. If they are, then a reduction of epistemic reasons to evidential support relations becomes available and, consequently, epistemic reasons cease to be a viable ‘companion’ for moral reasons. I recommend this structure of argument over existing strategies within the literature and defend my claims against recent objections from companions in guilt theorists.
- Published
- 2015