Moral fictionalism

This paper develops and defends moral fictionalism as a response to moral error theory, which holds that all moral claims are false. The fictionalist argues that instead of discarding morality, error theorists should treat moral discourse as a motivating fiction that supports useful behavior. I argue that morality can function as a form of self-commitment, shaping behavior and strengthening resistance to temptation even without belief in moral truth. This is an article-length statement of the view presented in my 2001 book “The Myth of Morality.”