Abstract

Moral values have proven puzzling. On the one hand, they seem to have an important subjective element, to the extent that values must matter to subjects. On the other hand, the seeming cognitivism of the moral discourse suggests an objective status for those values. Recent trends in metaethics have argued that philosophical theorizing about colour may provide a model to explain this tension. Three theories are presented and discussed: the error theory of John Mackie, the dispositionalist theory of John McDowell and the projectivist theory of Simon Blackburn. The essay suggests that although McDowell and Blackburn both succeed in facing the sceptical consequences of Mackie's error theory, the projectivist line seems to be better positioned to explain the variety of features of our moral experience.