Introduction

This introduction presents an overview of key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of the book. The book explores a wide range of important views, questions, and controversies in and about contemporary metaethics. It discusses a simple illustrative metaethical theory: Simple Subjectivism. Simple Subjectivism proposes an explanation of how a certain type of ethical thought—goodness judgments—fits into reality. Metaethics is that theoretical activity which aims to explain how actual ethical thought and talk—and what that thought and talk is distinctively about—fits into reality. The book explains important upshots of the characterization. It explains how an account permits to address certain challenges to the theoretical significance of a distinctively metaethical project. The book also explains how one can understand the history and future of self-conscious metaethical theorizing. It considers the account's focus on ethical thought and talk. Ethical thought and talk appears to be about certain distinctive things, such as ethical facts, properties, and relations.