Luke Elson: Nihilistic Despair

Lecture by Luke Elson ( University of Reading ), organized by the Department of Ethics, Social and Political Philosophy.

Many people think that forms of moral anti-realism (such as the error theory) are somehow depressing or sad. I sketch one account of what is sad about them, and argue that there need be no muddle or error in despairing at the supposed truth of nihilism.

Luke Elson is a Lecturer in Philosophy at the University of Reading, UK. He works in ethics and metaethics. His papers have appeared in Ethics, Utilitas, and Theoria.