Richard Joyce is a contemporary analytic philosopher specializing in metaethics, best known for defending moral error theory and moral fictionalism. In 'The Myth of Morality' (2001) he argues that moral discourse presupposes the existence of robust moral facts that do not exist, rendering moral claims systematically false. He has also developed influential evolutionary debunking arguments against moral realism, exploring how the evolutionary origins of moral cognition undermine its epistemic credentials.
Defended moral error theory: the view that all moral claims are false due to the non-existence of moral properties
Pioneered moral fictionalism as a pragmatic response to error theory — treating moral discourse as useful fiction rather than abandoning it
Developed evolutionary debunking arguments showing that the adaptive origins of moral beliefs undercut their justification
Authored 'The Evolution of Morality' (2006), a landmark treatment of evolutionary ethics and its metaethical implications
Contributed to debates on the authority of practical reason and whether morality can rationally bind agents