4.2 religion and morality

Question 1

What is meant by theonomous ethics?

Answer 1

• argues that morality stems from God
• religion and morality are dependent on each other

Question 2

What is meant by autonomous ethics?

Answer 2

• argues that morality is decided by the moral agent
• morality is independent to religion; it is separate to God

Question 3

What is meant by heteronomous ethics?

Answer 3

• argues that morality is defined by an external force

Question 4

What is Plato’s Euthyphro dilemma?

Answer 4

• Is something morally good because the gods command it or whether the gods command something because it’s morally good?
• is goodness essential to God’s nature, or is it good because it’s essential to God’d nature?

Question 5

What does Kant argue in terms of autonomy?

Answer 5

• morality needs autonomy, to be moral agents we must be free, otherwise we cannot be held responsible for our actions
• Kant argues that if God exists, he and humanity abide by the same rational principles
• we need God as the best possible explanation of why we should act morally: for the Summun Bonum

Question 6

What does Nietzsche argue about religion and morality?

Answer 6

• human flourishing is achieved by understanding ourselves and setting our own goals
• but religion encourages man to be suffering and weak in the face of wrong

Question 7

What does Nietzsche mean by master morality?

Answer 7

• morality should be based on what individuals deem to have value

Question 8

What does Nietzsche mean by slave morality?

Answer 8

• pity,patience, humility, self-sacrifice are the ideas put forward by religion that are at odds with human flourishing

Question 9

What does R A Sharpe argue about religion and morality?

Answer 9

• the commands of Christianity and religion are immoral e.g. better not to use contraception, no divorce
• distorts the desire to do good acts by false promises of heaven; they only behave well because they are frightened of hell

Question 10

What does Richard Dawkins argue about religion and morality?

Answer 10

• religion is opposed to morality - humanity would be better off without religion/belief in God
• religious positions on morality, especially when taught to children, represent a form of indoctrination, teaching dubious and uncritical moral codes
• therefore argues for a morality that values autonomy

Question 11

What does Richard Dawkins argue about biblical parenting?

Answer 11

• biblical parenting condemns some behaviours - masturbation, sex before marriage, homosexuality - as impure to the point where it could lead you to hell

Question 12

What are the beliefs of the Quiverfull movement?

Answer 12

• a conservative Evangelical Christian religious group
• believe that having children is a blessing from God and the purpose of sex is reproduction
• comes from Psalm 127 = ‘Blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them’
• its a Christian duty to have as many children as possible to build an ‘army of God’

Question 13

What is wrong with the Quiverfull movement?

Answer 13

• it is inherently patriarchal: women are defined by the fact that they have a womb and can bear children
• the woman’s role is to mother and nurture children

Question 14

What are the beliefs of the Westboro Baptist Church?

Answer 14

• an American hate group founded by Fred Phelps in 1966, who argue that events such as 9/11 are divine retribution for America’s support and tolerance for homosexuality
• argue that most people will go to hell and strongly believe in God’s wrath and hatred of homosexuals