Arguments from Analogy and the Categoricity of Moral Judgments

Patrick Clipsham (Winona State University)

Abstract: Many attempts to deny that there are any genuinely categorical moral reasons can be countered effectively by Arguments from Analogy (or Companions in Guilt Arguments). But one of the most challenging debates about theses Argument from Analogy pertains to their applicability to moral nihilism and the moral error theory. Error Theorists and nihilists have powerful resources at their disposal to respond to and disarm Arguments from analogy, especially when those analogies rely on claims about the parity between moral and epistemic judgments. This talk will evaluate and respond to some recent attempts to undermine the Argument from Analogy as an effective response to error theory and nihilism.