01 Ethical Thought: A Divine Command Theory Flashcards
What type of approach are religious approaches to morality?
-absolute
-deontelogical
What is God the origin and regulator of?
Morality
What do divine command theists claim?
What is moral is deontelogical by what God commands.
What does the specific content of divine commands vary according to?
Specific religions.
What is divine command theory?
What is moral is deontelogical by what God commands.
Generally, what do those who accept divine command theory look to to follow Gods commands?
Sacred texts.
In Christianity, where can Gods moral commands be found?
In the Bible
Give an example of divine commands theory?
One of the 10 commandments is “you shall not murder” therefore humanity knows that murder is morally wrong because God has commanded it.
What is one result of divine commands theory?
What is right and wrong is objective.
What did William Ockham say about divine commands theory?
“With him (God) a thing becomes right solely because he wants it to.”
If a person wishes to be moral, what is the only way to do this?
By following God’s commands.
What reasons does Christianity give for following God’s commands?
You go to hell if you don’t follow Gods commands.
Who awaits an eternal life in hell?
Those who do not follow his commands.
Why is divine commands a requirement of Gods omnipotence?
-if God didn’t create morality, ‘something else’ did.
-this ‘something else’ must be more powerful than God, destaging Gods omnipotence.
-therefore, God must have created morality or he couldn’t be omnipotent.
Why does Robert Adam’s modify divine commands theory?
To overcome the ethyphro dilemma.
What does Robert Adam’s conclude about the euthyphro dilemma?
It is logically possible for God to command morality because he is omnipotent
What does Adams propose about divine commands theory?
An action is morally wrong if and only if it defies the commands of a loving God.
What does Adam’s argue you should do if an action defies the commands of a loving God?
The command would not have to be obeyed.
Who created the euthyphro dilemma?
Ancient Greek philosopher Plato.
State the euthyphro dilemma?
Is what is morally good commanded by God because it is already good, or is it morally good because it’s commanded by God?
What does arbitrary mean?
Based on random chance or personal whim rather than any reason or system.
What is the arbitrariness problem?
If divine command theory is true it seems that what is good and bad depends on nothing more than God’s whims. Whims, even Gods whims, are not an adequate foundation for morality.
What is religious pluralism?
Many different religions.
What is the pluralism objection?
Due to religious pluralism it impossible to know which God’s or religion’s commands should followed, especially because some religions contradict each other, it is impossible to accept all of them.
Even if a person believes one religion is correct, there remains a plurality of understandings of what God wants us to do.
