But this means that moral anti-realists must think that you can never have a reason to care about something independent of what you actually do care about. This is crazy as shown by the following cases:
A person wants to eat a car. They know they’d get no enjoyment from it—the whole experience would be quite painful and unpleasant. On moral anti-realism, they’re not being irrational. They have no reason to take a different action.
I think the person wanting to eat a car is irrational because they will not be promoting their wellbeing by doing so and their wellbeing is what they actually care about.
So the reason not to eat the car isn’t stance-independent—it’s based on their own underlying values.
What is the reason not to eat the car that isn’t grounded in concern for wellbeing or some other value the person already holds?
It’s only intuitive to me not to eat cars because it isn’t good for wellbeing!
In a world in which cars are tasty and healthy to eat I imagine we wouldn’t find it so irrational to eat them. Unless of course you’d be losing a method of transportation by eating it and can get other options that are just as healthy and tasty for cheaper — in which case we’re just resorting to wellbeing arguments again.
I think the person wanting to eat a car is irrational because they will not be promoting their wellbeing by doing so and their wellbeing is what they actually care about.
So the reason not to eat the car isn’t stance-independent—it’s based on their own underlying values.
What is the reason not to eat the car that isn’t grounded in concern for wellbeing or some other value the person already holds?
Realists might just say you have a reason simpliciter. There’s nothing more to it than that. And they think this because it’s intuitive.
It’s only intuitive to me not to eat cars because it isn’t good for wellbeing!
In a world in which cars are tasty and healthy to eat I imagine we wouldn’t find it so irrational to eat them. Unless of course you’d be losing a method of transportation by eating it and can get other options that are just as healthy and tasty for cheaper — in which case we’re just resorting to wellbeing arguments again.