subjectivism
for
An objective truth is one that is true
independently of how humans happen to
think or feel about it.
 Objectivism: There are at least some
objective moral truths.
 Subjectivism: There are no objective
moral truths. “X is right” means “I
approve of X”. “X is wrong” means “I
disapprove of X”.

objectivism and subjectivism
Objectivism requires intolerance.
2. Intolerance is bad.
3. [So] Objectivism is false.
1.
the toleration argument
…Science provides our paradigm of objectivity,
and when we compare ethics to science,
ethics seems to lack the features that make
science so compelling. For example, it seems
a great deficiency that there are no proofs in
ethics. We can prove that the worlds is
round, that there is no largest prime number,
and that dinosaurs lived before humans. But
can we prove that abortion is right or wrong?
The general idea that moral judgments can’t
be proved sounds appealing…
the “no proof” argument
Moral claims cannot be proved.
2. If moral claims cannot be proved, then
there are no objective moral truths.
3. [So] There are no objective moral
truths.
1.
the “no proof” argument
the “no proof” argument

Godel’s Incompleteness Theorem: For
any consistent formal theory that proves
basic arithmetical truths, it is possible to
construct an arithmetical statement that
is true but not provable in the theory.
the “no proof” argument
Moral claims cannot be proved.
2. If moral claims cannot be proved, then
there are no objective moral truths.
3. [So] There are no objective moral
truths.
1.
the “no proof” argument