Objective values and moral relativism

My basic question in this dissertation is whether we can talk about practical moral truth without relying on objective (or transcendent) moral values. Recently some moral philosophers in Britain claim that such objective values are not needed for the discussion of moral truth. The philosophers present different theoretical frames to ground their point and to describe moral phenomena. According to them, it is possible that practical moral standards or values need not be based on the objective (or transcendent) moral values. In this dissertation, I look into three kinds of theories: John Mackie’s skepticism, Simon Blackburn’s antirealism, and the sensibility theory proposed by David Wiggins and John McDowell. Each theory is analyzed and criticized during the first three chapters. In the final chapter, I discuss their common problems, and propose that the notion of objective moral values (or transcendent moral standards) can cure their problems.