Snare, Francis

Francis Snare (1943-2001) was an American philosopher who made significant contributions to metaethics and moral philosophy. He taught at the University of Sydney and later at California State University, Los Angeles. His major work, The Nature of Moral Thinking (1992), presents a sophisticated defense of moral anti-realism and develops an influential account of moral error theory. While primarily focused on metaethics, Snare's work has implications for philosophy of religion, particularly regarding the relationship between morality and divine command theory. His anti-realist position challenges traditional theistic accounts of moral objectivity that ground ethical truths in God's nature or commands. Snare argued that moral claims systematically involve false presuppositions about objective moral properties, a view that intersects with debates about whether morality requires a divine foundation. His rigorous analytical approach influenced subsequent discussions about moral epistemology and the metaphysical commitments of both theistic and secular ethical frameworks.