J.L. Mackie
contemporaryAnalytic Philosophy1917 – 1981
J.L. Mackie (1917–1981) was an Australian analytic philosopher best known for his defense of moral error theory and atheism. He argued that objective moral values do not exist, and that all moral claims are false because they presuppose such values. His work spans metaethics, philosophy of religion, and causation.
Notable Achievements
1
Developed moral error theory in 'Ethics: Inventing Right and Wrong' (1977)
2
Formulated the 'argument from queerness' against moral realism
3
Argued against the existence of God in 'The Miracle of Theism' (1982)
4
Advanced the INUS condition account of causation
5
Contributed to the analysis of counterfactuals and conditionals