Why doesn't the error theory count as a moral theory? What kind of a theory is it? Why can't such theories be tested by appealing to the results of people accepting them?

Question

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The Answer is Error theory, as developed by philosopher J.L. Mackie in his book "Ethics: Inventing Right and Wrong," is a meta-ethical view rather than a normative moral theory. Meta-ethics deals with the nature of moral judgments and the status of moral properties, whereas normative ethics is concerned with the content of moral norms and what actions are right or wrong.

Error theory is often compared to moral skepticism, as it holds that although our moral discourse purports to refer to objective moral facts, there are no such facts to be found. According to error theorists, all moral claims are false because they all assume the existence of objective moral values, which error theorists argue do not exist. In this sense, error theory is sometimes described as a form of moral nihilism.

The reason error theory doesn't count as a moral theory in the normative sense is that it doesn't offer any guidance on how to act or what moral principles to follow. Instead, it is a theory about the status of moral language and the claims we make when we engage in moral discourse. It suggests that when we make moral judgments, we are systematically in error because we are ascribing properties (moral properties) that do not actually exist.

As for why such theories can't be tested by appealing to the results of people accepting them, it's because error theory is not about the consequences of moral beliefs but about the truth-value of moral statements. Whether or not accepting error theory leads to better or worse outcomes is irrelevant to the truth of the theory itself. Error theory is a philosophical position that is debated and critiqued on logical, conceptual, and philosophical grounds, rather than empirical ones.

Testing a normative moral theory by the results of people accepting it would involve looking at the outcomes of their actions and determining if those outcomes align with the theory's prescriptions. However, since error theory claims that all moral prescriptions are based on a fundamental mistake, the acceptance of error theory would not lead to any particular set of actions or outcomes that could be measured or tested in the same way as a normative theory.

In summary, error theory is a meta-ethical theory that asserts the nonexistence of objective moral facts, making all moral claims false. It is not a normative moral theory that prescribes how one should act. Consequently, it cannot be tested by looking at the results of people accepting it, because it does not make any prescriptions about what actions people should take.

Why Doesn't the Error Theory Count as a Moral Theory